German musicians take center stage in Halle to say 'no' to antisemitism
The concert organizers said that the event “HalleZusammen” (Halle Together) meant to send “a strong message against anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and right-wing extremism.”
By ROSSELLA TERCATINFlowers and candles are seen outside the synagogue in Halle, Germany October 10, 2019, after two people were killed in a shooting(photo credit: REUTERS/FABRIZIO BENSCH)
Thousands of people attended a concert in Halle on Saturday to honor the victims of the attack that took place on October 9, when a far-right extremist killed two bystanders after repeatedly trying to break into the German city’s synagogue during Yom Kippur services. On the holiest Jewish day, a heavily armed 27-year-old, identified by German authorities as Stephan Balliet, tried to blast his way into the building where some 80 Jews were worshiping. When he failed, he shot 40-year-old Jana Lange, who had scolded him for being noisy. He then targeted a nearby kebab restaurant and killed Kevin S., a 20-year-old who worked as a painter in a nearby construction site. According to the German news agency Deutsche Welle, the concert organizers, which included local authorities and some media companies, said that the event “HalleZusammen” (Halle Together) meant to send “a strong message against anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and right-wing extremism.” Popular German singers Mark Forster, Max Giesinger, Alice Merton, and Michael Schulte took the stage, as well as local opera performers and choirs. After the shooting, vigils to show solidarity with the Jewish community and to commemorate the victims were held in the city and across Germany.
