General Discussion

pampango

(24,692 posts) Mon Mar 4, 2013, 11:12 AM Mar 2013

Don't tear down this wall, Berlin protesters demand

Thousands of Berliners turned out Sunday to protest the removal of a section of the Berlin Wall to make room for luxury apartments and a pedestrian bridge over the Spree River.

After the wall came down on Nov. 9, 1989, it was covered in murals by 120 artists from around the world.

On Sunday, Thierry Noir stood near the section he painted, and shook his head. He doesn’t know if his art will still be here in a few days. “I can’t believe it, the project is to build a big tower on the death strip, this place where 10 people had been killed, so it’s like making a supermarket on a church yard. I can’t believe it, people want to live here,” he said.

“It’s a paradox, yes. Before we were fighting to tear down the wall, now we are fighting to keep the wall.”

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2013/03/03/pauls-berlin-wall-protest.html

I hope that German protesters can prevent this section of the Wall from being torn down. History should be remembered, not always replaced by 'progress'.

4 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Don't tear down this wall, Berlin protesters demand (Original Post) pampango Mar 2013 OP

The damned thing contains asbestos LiberalEsto Mar 2013 #1

In Fulton Missouri, on the Westminster College Campus, they have a section of the Berlin Wall, MadHound Mar 2013 #2

I visited Westminster College and their Churchill collections years ago before the Wall fell. pampango Mar 2013 #3

A rather chilling observation when you're viewing the Wall, MadHound Mar 2013 #4

LiberalEsto

(22,845 posts)

1. The damned thing contains asbestos

Reply to pampango (Original post)

Mon Mar 4, 2013, 11:16 AM

Mar 2013

and should not be broken apart unless it's done with proper safety procedures.

A military friend sent me a chunk of the Wall when she was stationed in Germany at the time it was taken down. A cuple of years later she advised me to get rid of it because of the asbestos. Luckily I never took it out of the plastic self-sealing bag.

MadHound

(34,179 posts)

2. In Fulton Missouri, on the Westminster College Campus, they have a section of the Berlin Wall,

Reply to pampango (Original post)

Mon Mar 4, 2013, 11:16 AM

Mar 2013

The graffiti art on it is really amazing. It was donated by Churchill's granddaughter to honor the place where Churchill made his Iron Curtain speech. I try to swing by whenever I go through Fulton.

pampango

(24,692 posts)

3. I visited Westminster College and their Churchill collections years ago before the Wall fell.

Reply to MadHound (Reply #2)

Mon Mar 4, 2013, 11:31 AM

Mar 2013

My brother lives in Jefferson City not far away. I'll have to visit Westminster again next time I'm out there. Thanks for the info.

MadHound

(34,179 posts)

4. A rather chilling observation when you're viewing the Wall,

Reply to pampango (Reply #3)

Mon Mar 4, 2013, 11:42 AM

Mar 2013

The graffiti is all on one side. That is the West German side. If East Germans tried to approach the Wall, they were shot.

Reply to this discussion