A court in Frankfurt, Germany, has sentenced Marcel Lamer (28), a doctoral student at Frankfurt University, to approximately two weeks in prison for rushing onto the stage with an Israeli flag during a Roger Waters concert held in May 2023 in Frankfurt.
Lamer, a pro-Israel activist, was part of a group that attempted to get Waters' performance canceled due to the former Pink Floyd member's antisemitic statements and frequent anti-Israel elements in his shows.
The pro-Israel activist arrived with a group of protesters at the event, participated in a peaceful demonstration outside, and then entered the venue with the intention of documenting the performance. His plan was to gather evidence if Waters made statements or engaged in activities that violated German law, which could then be reported to the police.
According to Lamer, immediately upon entering the venue, he noticed a prominent stand run by a pro-Arab organization called "The Voice of Palestine," a group whose members' homes had been raided by German police due to illegal activities. The stand featured calls for "intifada" and maps of Israel labeled entirely as "Palestine."
When the show began, an announcement stated, "If you don't agree with Roger Waters' political views, you can leave the hall now and go to the local bar." This was met with enthusiastic responses from the audience. In reaction, the pro-Israel activists raised Israeli flags and began singing "Am Yisrael Chai" (The People of Israel Live). At this point, Lamer decided to climb onto the stage with an Israeli flag.
Despite the presence of 30 security guards around the stage, he managed to evade them and spent about 20 seconds on stage wrapped in an Israeli flag in front of an audience of 10,000 people and Waters himself. Shortly afterward, a security guard forcibly removed him and handed him over to the police.
The production company filed a complaint against Lamer, and after several months, he was fined 500 euros (approximately $141) which was supposed to be donated to an anti-Zionist organization. "I made it clear that there was no way I would donate money to them and that I preferred to go to court," Lamer said.
About three weeks ago, he appeared in court, and despite testimony that he had not assaulted anyone and that this was a legitimate protest action, the court judges decided to increase the punishment to two weeks in prison or a fine of 1,500 euros (about $423).
"In court, they compared me to a hooligan soccer fan who breaks into the field, even though there's no ideological motivation in such an intrusion," Lamer explained. "When I explained to the judge that I considered this a necessary protest and that I had no intention of paying money to an anti-Israel organization, he said I was acting out of honor that resembled 'honor killing' behavior. I was shocked by the comparison."
Lamer's refusal was supposed to send him to jail in recent days, but he has filed an appeal to a higher court, and in the coming months, the regional court in Germany will hear his case.
"This story is becoming too expensive for me, but this isn't about money – it's about principles," Lamer explained. "I am German, aware of my people's history, and when we say 'never again,' it means we must protest against hatred of Jews. I didn't use violence and didn't harm anyone. I simply protested against an artist with antisemitic views who spreads lies against Israel. It seems distorted to me that they threaten to throw me in jail because I learned from our history in Germany that we must not remain silent when there is incitement against Jews and against the State of Israel."
Lamer's pro-Israel activities have already led to incidents at Frankfurt University. He has been verbally and physically attacked, flyers have been distributed in his neighborhood labeling him "anti-Muslim" and "pro-Zionist," strangers have photographed him in the cafeteria, and he has suffered ongoing harassment. Eventually, to avoid disruption to his studies, he decided to relocate to another city.
"I will continue to support Israel and the Jewish people. I know who you are, and I stand with you in any situation," Lamer promised.
