Roger Waters recently released a statement on Twitter, condemning those who criticized his Third-Reich-esque stage prompts in Berlin, stating they weren’t what everyone thought them to be.
After Waters appeared on stage wearing a black leather jacket, gloves, red armband, and rifle [basically resembling an SS officer], German police started an investigation claiming the rocker disrespected Holocaust victims and disrupted ‘public peace.’
So, the rocker decided to clear the air about the accusations, explaining how those who wanted to ‘smear‘ him seemed to target his Berlin show to claim he sympathized with ‘fascism,’ but that never was the case. He explained:
“My recent performance in Berlin has attracted bad faith attacks from those who want to smear me because they disagree with my political views and moral principles. The elements of my performance that have been questioned are quite clearly a statement in opposition of fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms.
Attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated. The depiction of an unhinged fascist has been a feature of my shows since Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’ in 1980. I have spent my entire life speaking out against authoritarianism and oppression wherever I see it.”
He continued:
“When I was a child after the war, the name of Anne Frank was often spoken in our house; she became a permanent reminder of what happens when fascism is left unchecked. My parents fought the Nazis in World War II, with my father paying the ultimate price. Regardless of the consequences of the attacks against me, I will continue to condemn injustice and all those who perpetrate it.”
Well, the bassist claimed that his Third-Reich-esque stage prompts were not signs of sympathy for fascism but were inspired by Bob Geldof’s character, Pink, in Pink Floyd’s 1980 movie, ‘The Wall.’
However, although a court in Frankfurt also acquitted him of antisemitism accusations, this recent investigation may potentially lead to another legal battle for Waters, as police chief inspector Martin Haldweg recently told the Jewish News that the investigation will be forwarded to Berlin’s Public Prosecutor’s Office.
— Roger Waters ✊ (@rogerwaters) May 26, 2023
