EMIGREES IN TRADITIONAL COSTUME, VAN HASSAL AND PRINCE LOUIS FERDINAND, SCHUETZ SPEAKING, PEOPLE HECKLING, VON HASSAL SPEAKING, N.P.D. SUPPORTERS, CROWD WITH UMBRELLAS.




Initials ERW/VS/BHH/PC



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: FISTFIGHTS, HECKLING AND RAIN ALL COMBINED TO DAMPEN THE CELEBRATIONS IN WEST BERLIN TODAY (SUNDAY) OF GERMAN DAY (TAG DER DEUTSCHEN), THE CLIMAX OF THREE DAYS OF ACTIVITIES BY EMIGREE GROUPS IN THE CITY. IT MARKED THE 29TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE START OF WORLD WAR II AND SOME 8,000 FORMER SILESIANS, EAST PRUSSIANS AND SUDETEN GERMANS MARCHED INTO THE HALF-EMPTY WALDBUCHNE STADIUM, ONLY TO BE GREETED BY SHOUTS OF "SIEG HEIL, SIEG HEIL" FROM ABOUT 50 LEFT-WING STUDENTS, WHO STOOD UP AND RAISED THEIR RIGHT ARMS IN THE NAZI SALUTE.

LATER, AS THE GOVERNING MAYOR OF WEST BERLIN, KLAUS SCHUETZ WAS ADDRESSING THE GATHERING, THE STUDENTS BEGAN HECKLING AND WERE IMMEDIATELY SET UPON BY OTHER GROUPS. POLICE MOVED IN TO ISOLATE THE DEMONSTRATORS.

ATTENDING THE FUNCTION WAS THE GRANDSON OF THE LATE GERMAN KAISER, PRINCE LOUIS FERDINAND VAN PREUSSEN.

THE MAIN SPEAKER AT THE RALLY WAS HERR KAI UWE VAN HASSEL, THE WEST GERMAN MINISTER FOR REFUGEES. IN HIS SPEECH, HE MADE REFERENCE TO THE EVENTS IN CZECHOSLOVAKIA, SAYING THAT ONE DAY THE PROCESS OF EVOLUTION WILL WIN THROUGH IN THE EASTERN BLOC.

DURING HIS SPEECH, RAIN BEGAN TO FALL HEAVILY AND THE CROWD WAS FORCED TO TAKE REFUGE UNDER UMBRELLAS AND ANY OTHER COVER AVAILABLE TO THEM.