While a constant stream of Rammstein fans pass by, dozens of demonstrators voice their opposition in front of the main station in Groningen on Thursday evening.
,, Rape culture has got to go!”
Organizer Mathilde van Heereveld (33) shouts through a megaphone. She wears the red costume of The Handmaids Tale, which has become a symbol of the struggle for women’s rights. Her fellow demonstrators still need to warm up. After two times, the group joins the slogan.
Last month, the Public Prosecution Service in Germany launched an investigation into Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann, following allegations of drugging and raping young female fans. Van Heereveld therefore decided to hold a protest just before the band’s first performance in Groningen. “The allegations are the reason, but the march is about more than that: the insecurity of women.”
‘for my daughter’
It may not be the hundreds of demonstrators that Heereveld had hoped for, but she is still satisfied with the attention to the problem. Dineke Linzel (57) hesitated whether she would protest, because it concerns suspicions. “But I want to make a point. It’s not just a party today,” she says. “I stand here for all women and my daughter.”
She was sick in bed in the afternoon, but Roza Weber (25) decided to protest anyway. “Because the municipality allows Rammstein to come. Without making a statement about the situation.” Her mother Ina Brandsma (64) nods in agreement.
Protesters and fans
Concertgoers look disturbed at the procession of people; men and women. As the demonstrators step past the fans, a man shouts: “Go home, you morons.” Stoically, the group continues its route to the Vismarkt, where speeches follow.
Despite the megaphone, Rammstein’s music continues to boom in the background. Like some kind of memory.
2023-07-06 18:23:31
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