Roger Waters says he was opposing fascism and bigotry when he wore a Nazi-style uniform on stage at a concert in Berlin that led German police to launch an investigation into the Pink Floyd co-founder.
The 79-year-old rock musician said aspects of his performance at Berlin’s Mercedes-Benz Arena that have been questioned were “quite clearly” a statement against fascism, injustice and bigotry.
“Attempts to portray those elements as something else are disingenuous and politically motivated,” he tweeted.
Images from a May 17 concert showed the famed singer and bass player in a long black trench coat with bright red arm bands, aiming an imitation machine gun into the audience.
The outfit included a swastika-like emblem made of two crossed hammers – iconography that also appeared on costumes in a film based on Pink Floyd’s hit 1979 album The Wall, a critique of fascism.
Waters said the depiction of “an unhinged fascist demagogue” had been a feature of his shows since The Wall.
Social media users defended Waters, saying the performance was a recreation of satirical scenes from the film and he had worn the same costume in past concerts.
Nazi symbols, flags and uniforms are prohibited in Germany. Waters is being investigated under a separate law on suspicion of “incitement of the people”, police said.
Read the article in the The Canberra Times and Manning River Times (AAP).