Protesters Mark 27th Anniversary of Berlin Wall
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WEST BERLIN — West German protesters threw tomatoes and eggs at East German guards at the Berlin Wall and Communist police hauled away protesting East German youths Saturday as both sides marked the 27th anniversary of the barrier that divides the city.
West Berlin politicians and peace groups laid wreaths during solemn ceremonies at memorials for the 77 East Germans reported killed in escape attempts since construction of the 13-foot high, 100-mile-long wall began on Aug. 13, 1961.
West German newspapers condemned the wall, with one of them calling it “a monstrosity,” and another saying it represented “inhumanity cast in stone.”
But East Germany’s state-controlled newspapers celebrated the wall’s construction and said it contributed to East-West peace.
Dozens of West German activists demonstrated in front of the Brandenburg Gate, a stone entryway directly behind the wall in the Eastern sector. They carried life-sized portraits of Mikhail S. Gorbachev and called on the Soviet leader to pressure East Germany to tear down the wall.
West German television showed a handful of youths being taken away by East Berlin police after trying to protest near the wall.
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