Pink defends Holocaust memorial photo after criticism
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Pink with daughter Willow at an award ceremony
Pop singer Pink has defended herself after a picture she posted of her children ‘playing’ at the Holocaust Memorial in Berlin divided fans online.
The post shows her children Willow and Jameson running between the memorial’s pillars.
She was accused of “disrespect” by some, who said she should teach her children to “respect the place”.
In response, the singer said her children are Jewish, and referenced a quote from the memorial’s architect, who has said it was a “different environment” from other sites such as Auschwitz and should be treated as such.
Instagram user Nicki Claires said she was “torn” over the picture because “the location should be treated with high respect”.
Others have disagreed, with many simply stating that “kids will be kids”.
And one person shared a personal account to defend Pink.
“I’m Jewish and my relatives died in the camps,” said Deb Johns. “It gives me joy to see children enjoying life and continuing on when so many died.”
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Some were vocal in their defence of the pop star
Many people also pointed out that Peter Eisenman, who designed the Berlin memorial, had said that it should be treated differently from other memorial sites.
Eisenman previously told the BBC: “My idea was to allow as many people of different generations, in their own ways, to deal or not to deal with being in that place, and if they want to lark around I think that’s fine.
“A memorial is an everyday occurrence, it is not sacred ground.”
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Locals and tourists alike regularly sit on the concrete stelae
Eisenman was speaking in 2017 in response to social media influencers who posted selfies with the memorial’s pillars.
The selfie-takers were in the news after an Israeli-German writer took issue with their snaps and photoshopped them with scenes from concentration camps.
The website featuring the photos has since closed and now prominently shows an email from one of the influencers apologising for his actions.