Roger Waters: German police investigate ex-Pink Floyd star over Nazi-style costume

Police are investigating erstwhile Pink Floyd bassist Roger Waters aft helium wore what appeared to beryllium a Nazi SS azygous during a performance successful Germany.

Performing successful Berlin connected 17 May, Waters wore a agelong achromatic overcoat with a reddish armband. He besides aimed an imitation instrumentality weapon into the audience.

Germany bans displaying Nazi symbols - but the country's laws let exceptions for creator oregon acquisition reasons.

Waters said his show was intelligibly to amusement "opposition to fascism".

Following the performance astatine Berlin's Mercedes-Benz Arena, German constabulary spokesperson Martin Halweg said: "We are investigating connected suspicion of incitement to nationalist hatred due to the fact that the covering worn connected signifier could beryllium utilized to glorify oregon warrant Nazi rule, thereby disturbing the nationalist peace.

"The covering resembles the covering of an SS officer," helium added.

Waters' overgarment included a reddish armband with 2 achromatic crossed hammers connected a achromatic circle, an outfit helium has worn astatine erstwhile shows dating backmost respective years.

The symbols are akin to those appearing connected costumes successful the 1982 film, The Wall, based connected the Pink Floyd medium of the aforesaid sanction and starring chap instrumentalist turned activistic Bob Geldof.

In 1 country Geldof plays a stone prima hallucinating that helium is starring a fascist rally.

Police authorities person said that erstwhile the allegations person been reviewed, the substance volition beryllium passed connected to the nationalist prosecutor, who volition determine however to proceed.

During the Berlin performance, the names of respective deceased radical besides appeared connected a ample screen.

The names included Anne Frank, the Jewish teen who died successful a Nazi attraction campy during World War Two.

Israel's overseas ministry aboriginal criticised the instrumentalist connected societal media.

"Good greeting to everyone but Roger Waters who spent the evening successful Berlin (Yes Berlin) desecrating the representation of Anne Frank and the 6 cardinal Jews murdered successful the Holocaust," it tweeted.

In a tweet connected Friday, Waters wrote: "The elements of my show that person been questioned are rather intelligibly a connection successful absorption to fascism, injustice, and bigotry successful each its forms... The depiction of an unhinged fascist demagogue has been a diagnostic of my shows since Pink Floyd's The Wall successful 1980."

Waters has besides floated an inflatable pig marked with the Star of David astatine his concerts.

In caller weeks, the instrumentalist has been travelling to cities astir Germany arsenic portion of his This Is Not A Drill tour.

However the performances person been controversial. Munich and Cologne tried to cancel shows aft Jewish organisations specified arsenic the Central Council of Jews accused him of antisemitism.

Waters denies the accusations, and successful a Facebook station this week helium thanked those who had attended his shows successful Germany.

He besides paid tribute to the White Rose movement, a absorption radical during the Nazi period.

"The information that immoderate successful powerfulness successful Germany and immoderate astatine the behest of the Israeli lobby person attacked me, wrongly accusing maine of being an antisemite, and person tried to cancel my shows saddens me," Waters said.

"Walking astir Munich yesterday afternoon, I couldn't shingle disconnected the feeling that I was successful the beingness of Big Brother. It leaves a atrocious taste."

Waters is inactive scheduled to play his last performance successful Germany connected Sunday evening successful Frankfurt. Demonstrations are planned extracurricular the venue, however, aft a ineligible effort by the metropolis to halt the show failed.

Waters has made respective arguable comments successful the past.

In it, helium said, "extreme nationalists" successful Ukraine "have acceptable your state connected the way to this disastrous war".