Photo credit: Etienne Girardet
Roger Waters has apologized on social media after pictures from his Berlin concert caused a stir.
The statement follows news that The Berlin police are investigating the former Pink Floyd frontman for using Nazi imagery during his May 17 concert. Videos posted to social media showed the musician in a black trench coat with a red armband and a caption that described Waters as “mimicking a Nazi.”
“My recent appearance in Berlin has provoked malicious attacks from those who want to denigrate and silence me for disagreeing with my political views and moral principles,” he said opinion by Waters begins. “The elements of my performance that were questioned are clearly a statement against fascism, injustice and bigotry in all their forms.”
“Attempts to portray these elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated. Portraying a mad fascist demagogue has been a feature of my shows since Pink Floyd’s The Wall in 1980. I’ve spent my entire life speaking out against authoritarianism and oppression whenever I see it,” Waters continues.
“When I was a child, after the war, the name Anne Frank was spoken a lot in our house; She became a permanent reminder of what happens when fascism is left unchecked. My parents fought against the Nazis in World War II and my father paid the ultimate price.”
The Berlin police are investigating the actor on suspicion of “incitement to hatred”. Investigators believe the costume used during the show “was likely to offend the dignity of the victims, as well as to condone, glorify, or justify the violent and arbitrary rule of the Nazi regime in a way that disrupts public space.”
Roger Waters often disguised himself as a thug with boots on stage in his depictions of Nazi imagery. Other cities across Germany, including Munich, Frankfurt and Cologne, attempted to cancel Waters’ performances. Waters even sued the city of Frankfurt to prevent the ban from performing.