Lollapalooza’s Berlin edition, commissioned in 2014, was originally held at the city’s disused Tempelhof Airfield, but due to parts of Tempelhof being utilized as temporary housing for refugees, the 2016 edition, featuring Radiohead, Kings Of Leon and more, is slated for placement at Treptower Park on September 10th and 11th. However, there has been a uproar from the Russian government due to the event taking place near a sizeable memorial site dedicated to the Soviet soldiers who gave their lives during the World War II.
“We express serious concern at the plans of Berlin authorities to allow a rock festival to take place in September at this memorial site,” spokeswoman Maria Zakharovathe of the Russian foreign ministry stated on Thursday.
“You have to understand that this event, which will be attended by 50,000 people, will take place on the site of the burial of 7,500 Soviet soldiers who perished while freeing Europe from fascism. We believe holding events like this at memorial sites is unacceptable, and will involve – literally – dancing on graves.”
There are always two sides to every story. One of the spokespersons for the Lollapalooza, Tommy Nick, went on record with The Guardian to say that plans to host the festival on the memorial site itself were never established and that organizers were already planning the build site to be an acceptable distance away from where the bodies were buried as to not disrespect their obvious sacrifices.
He said: “It’s worth remembering that Bob Dylan played in front of a crowd of almost 100,000 here when that part of the city was still part of East Germany. As recently as 10 years ago, 200,000 people watched the World Cup next to the memorial. But maybe there is a different political climate these days.”
Source: The Guardian
