Berlin police remove residents from squat from bygone era

Berlin (dpa) – Berlin police on Friday began removing residents from a squatter encampment of 30 years’ standing close to where the Berlin Wall once ran.

By early afternoon, 37 people had been removed from the “Koepi” camp, where activists linked to the city’s strong anarchist scene have been living in trailers.

There were still nine people sitting in trees, police said. A total of 21 arrests were made during the operation.

A court bailiff was escorted onto the site to take stock of the situation with a view to returning control to the owner.

On Friday morning, police deployed in force with heavy equipment to clear the encampment, as left-wing protestors gathered on the street outside.

Vandalism of buildings and cars overnight was reported ahead of the police operation.

The camp over some 2,600 square metres at 137, Koepenicker Strasse (Street), is one of the last strongholds of the anarchist scene in the city, and its clearance is seen as symbolic of the end of an era.

The owner has applied for and been granted permission to redevelop the site, which lies just over 3 kilometres from the Brandenburg Gate and close to many of Berlin’s cultural attractions.