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Protests in front of the Olympic Stadium in Berlin

Photo: HANNIBAL HANSCHKE / EPA

There was an incident during the second Rammstein performance on Sunday evening in Berlin's Olympic Stadium. Two people were taken away by the police. A third woman was apparently able to leave undetected.

According to a police spokeswoman, the trio is said to have tampered with cable ducts during the concert, which led to loudspeakers near the stage. Security personnel are said to have observed the process.

The goal of the 36-year-old and the 24-year-old remained unclear on Monday. The two were banned from the Olympic Stadium, and investigations were also initiated for attempted damage to property, it said. After the check, they were released.

On Monday, there was no further information on the incident from the band management when asked. In the stadium, it could be observed how the police called into the stadium first obtained information from the security service. Subsequently, two people were led away via the grandstand area.

Increased security precautions

In the stadium itself, the security for the concerts had been increased in many areas, according to information from the band's environment. More personnel in reflective high-visibility vests or in civilian clothes were on the road, and the technology was also additionally protected. For example, the towers for loudspeakers and pyrotechnics were strictly guarded.

Because of the allegations against singer Till Lindemann, there had already been protests on Saturday before the first of the three Berlin concerts. In front of the Olympic Stadium, activists demanded a ban on the concerts. On Sunday, a banner "No stage for perpetrators" could be seen on the tour around the stadium construction.

Several women have made allegations against Lindemann, some of them anonymously. They describe situations that are perceived as frightening. At the after-show party, it is said to have come to sexual acts. Lindemann rejects the allegations.

The public prosecutor's office in Berlin has initiated preliminary proceedings against Lindemann. If there is a suspicion of a crime, she must investigate. Media reports can also be the trigger for this. Until the conclusion of the investigation, the presumption of innocence applies.

Frontman Till Lindemann, guitarists Richard Kruspe and Paul Landers, bassist Oliver Riedel, keyboardist Christian "Flake" Lorenz and drummer Christoph Schneider live in Berlin. The six musicians came together here in 1994 and have since developed into the most internationally successful German band.

ala/dpa