Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 19, 1993 TAG: 9309190135
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-12 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: The New York Times
DATELINE: BERLIN LENGTH: Medium
In contrast with earlier protests, the march was largely peaceful, and demonstrators said they believed that their campaign had convinced officials that Berlin would not be a good site for the Olympic Games.
The International Olympic Committee is to meet in Monte Carlo on Thursday to hear presentations from the five competing cities, and then to make its decision. In addition to Berlin, the cities are Sydney, Australia; Beijing; Istanbul, Turkey; and Manchester, England.
Opposition in Berlin is based partly on the view that the Olympics would be a waste of public funds at a time when German unification has created enormous financial burdens. What's more, opponents say the Games are being planned by an elite that is isolated from the needs of ordinary citizens.
One anti-Olympic statement declared: "The people of Berlin do not favor mammoth projects which the power elite, supported by the police and media, plans and executes without our consent. The government promises a great deal, but gives only to the rich."
For the last year, groups of anarchists and other militants have been fighting a guerrilla war against Berlin's bid. They have set fires, smashed windows, vandalized automobiles, stolen files, disrupted athletic competitions and, in a favorite tactic, poured glue into locks on the front doors of businesses that are sponsoring the bid.
This week in Berlin, bombs exploded in front of buildings that are owned by three prominent sponsors, Daimler-Benz, Berliner Bank and Hertie's, a department store chain. While the attacks caused no injuries, the police estimated the total damage at $6,250.
These actions, and Saturday's protest march in Berlin, are a culmination of the strong anti-Olympic campaign that has been waged here in recent months. The campaign has won the support of some leftist politicians, although the Berlin City Council voted 171-39 this week to endorse the city's bid.
Judith Demba, a leading member of the `NOlympic' campaign and a spokeswoman for the Green Party, said violent attacks that did not cause personal injuries are "a legitimate means" of expressing opposition.
Although Chancellor Helmut Kohl has been less than enthusiastic in his support for the bid, politicians in and around Berlin predict that the Games would be a magnet for economic development. They also say the Games would give Berliners a project that would help them grow closer after decades of enforced separation.
Mayor Eberhard Diepgen said this week that "no other city in the world symbolizes the Olympic ideal of peace and friendship among peoples as well as formerly divided, now reunited Berlin."
by CNB