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| David Hasselhoff adds voice to Berlin Wall protests | David Hasselhoff adds voice to Berlin Wall protests |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| He once complained that his role in the reunification of East and West Germany had been overlooked following the fall of the Berlin Wall. | He once complained that his role in the reunification of East and West Germany had been overlooked following the fall of the Berlin Wall. |
| Now the Baywatch and Knight Rider star David Hasselhoff has added his voice to those opposing the demolition of the longest remaining fragment of the barrier, to make way for a bridge leading to a block. | |
| The US actor, who is adored by fans in Germany after his 1989 performance of his song Looking for Freedom on top of the Berlin Wall, told his Twitter followers that he would sign a petition opposing the further removal of remnants of the wall at Berlin's East Side Gallery. | |
| "How can you tear down the wall that signifies freedom, perseverance and the sacrifice of human life?" he tweeted on Monday morning, along with a link to the petition, which has already been signed by more than 62,000 people. | "How can you tear down the wall that signifies freedom, perseverance and the sacrifice of human life?" he tweeted on Monday morning, along with a link to the petition, which has already been signed by more than 62,000 people. |
| The partial demolition of the 0.8-mile (1.3km) stretch of the wall in the Berlin district of Friedrichshain has triggered outrage and led thousands of protesters to turn out at the site on Sunday. | |
| A 1.5-metre (5ft) section of the wall was removed before the first protests took place on Friday. Another 18.5 metres is due to be dismantled, but public fury has brought the work to a temporary halt until 18 March when representatives of the developers Living Bauhaus are to meet Berlin's senate and district government. | |
| Volker Thoms, a spokesman for Maik Uwe Hinkel, the project's investor, said pieces were being removed from the wall to make way for the rebuilding of a bridge destroyed during the second world war, not for the flats themselves. He said the removal was being carried out on behalf of Berlin's district authorities but that the bridge would also provide access to the apartments being developed. | |
| "Mr Hinkel doesn't need it [the wall] to be removed. He would also be happy if another solution could be found. It has to be discussed," Thoms said. | "Mr Hinkel doesn't need it [the wall] to be removed. He would also be happy if another solution could be found. It has to be discussed," Thoms said. |
| Alex Klausmeier, director of the Berlin Wall Memorial association, said he was surprised by the strong public reaction, but happy that the issue was being given so much attention. | Alex Klausmeier, director of the Berlin Wall Memorial association, said he was surprised by the strong public reaction, but happy that the issue was being given so much attention. |
| "The wall is such an important part of Berlin's history and that people are in the streets demonstrating against it [the development] shows that the wall is something special," he said. "It's important to keep it as it is." | "The wall is such an important part of Berlin's history and that people are in the streets demonstrating against it [the development] shows that the wall is something special," he said. "It's important to keep it as it is." |