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Roger Waters is clapping back at criticism over the Nazi-themed getup he wore during two recent Berlin concerts … insisting he’s not a fascist.
The rock star took to Twitter Friday, posting a lengthy statement detailing his defense of his Gestapo-like appearance during his May 17 and May 18 performances.
Wow, this is @rogerwaters imitating a Nazi, while at a concert in … Berlin. This is just unhinged Jew hatred and Holocaust distortion. The man is vile beyond words. pic.twitter.com/zn1EvudSXc
— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) May 25, 2023
@Ostrov_A
Berlin Police have opened a criminal investigation to see if Waters’ outfit — a black trench coat with a red armband — incited the crowd by glorifying Nazis and, therefore, disturbed the peace. Waters was flanked by men dressed as Nazi stormtroopers firing toy machine guns.
Waters now says his critics have launched “bad faith attacks” designed to “smear and silence” him because they don’t agree with his political and moral views.
He says his performances were trying to convey the opposite message in the fight against “fascism, injustice, and bigotry in all its forms.” He claims Nazi-infused imagery has been woven into his music since the release of his 1980 record, Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.”
Waters went on to say he has spent his life condemning authoritarianism and oppression and reminded everyone his parents battled the Nazis in World War II. He noted his father died making the ultimate sacrifice.
In Germany, it’s against the law to publicly display Nazi symbolism and to downplay the Holocaust or commit acts of antisemitism. But the Berlin authorities will have to consider artistic freedom in determining whether Waters committed a crime.