Rammstein
The first Berlin concert was accompanied by protests
About 300 demonstrators protested in front of the Olympic Stadium on Saturday evening. The police had turned off an extra 200 forces to prevent a meeting with the fans.
© imago/Stefan Zeitz
Around 300 people demonstrated against Rammstein in front of the Olympic Stadium. However, the fans didn’t let that spoil their mood.
The controversial band Rammstein gave their first of three concerts in Berlin on Saturday (July 15). While around 60,000 fans celebrated in the Olympic Stadium despite the allegations against frontman Till Lindemann (60), there were protests outside. How among other things the “Berliner Zeitung” reported that around 300 people demonstrated from the afternoon.
Petition could not prevent concerts
A possible cancellation of the concerts had been discussed in advance. Around 75,000 people had signed a corresponding petition. Since May, several women have accused Till Lindemann of sexual assault at Rammstein performances. The Berlin public prosecutor is investigating. The band and the singer have vehemently denied all allegations and have now turned to lawyers. In Berlin, the concert took place without the controversial “Row Zero”. According to Interior Senator Iris Spranger (61, SPD), there should also be no after-show parties.
The demonstrators had gathered on Theodor-Heuss-Platz in the afternoon and then marched to the Olympic Stadium in a protest march. The feminist alliance “No Rammstein in Berlin!” called. Demonstrators and concert-goers met in front of the stadium, leading to wild verbal battles between the two camps. However, the police had prepared for this and were deployed with 200 forces.
As the “Berliner Zeitung” reported, Lindemann did not take a direct position on the allegations or the protests at the concert. However, a small reaction could have been hidden in the song “Angst”: instead of the original line “All are afraid of the black man”, he is said to have once sung “All are afraid of Lindemann” in Berlin.
Rammstein will play two more concerts in the German capital: on Sunday, July 16th and Tuesday, July 18th.