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November 23rd, 2008
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Barack 'n' roll

Around Town

By Fiona Gaze
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
July 30th, 2008 issue

Speeding along the tracks to Germany last Thursday, I could hardly contain my excitement: Barack Obama was going to speak in Berlin. Estimates were running between 100,000 and 1 million people flooding the Tiergarten. I was grateful for Prague’s proximity in getting to Berlin, but doubtful I’d even get into the park.

Near the Brandenburg gate at 4 p.m., three hours before the speech, German police lined the stairs to the metro stop by Hotel Adlon while the crowd pressed against the police tape. Some people hung back more jovially, waving American flags under the backdrop of Starbucks and the Doric columns of the gate.
The massive Tiergarten seemed set up for a rock festival. Beer stalls, street-meat stands and Toi Tois shared the street with Obama T-shirt hawkers and U.S. voter registration booths (I registered). As the throngs of people grew and pushed toward the Victory Column, an air of anticipation as strong as the sausage fumes began to build.
It was a long wait in the blazing sun. With a twinge of envy I eyed the folding chairs of an elderly couple who had strategically set up camp in front of one of several giant screens.
I plonked down on the concrete with a friend just as a reggae band took over the stage. The crowd was eclectic and electric: Students, backpackers, businessmen, families, hippies, Rastafarians — everyone talking at once in different tongues.
Two Brits and a Dutch-sounding guy behind us debated how Obama’s reception differed from an official state visit. A nattily dressed man in his 60s swayed almost imperceptibly to the beats, smiling distantly. An American beside us enthused to a German friend about Obama, while two Spanish tourists pored over newspapers, ignoring the people stepping over them to get through.
Despite the cheesy acts onstage (the reggae band was followed by some U2 wannabes who said things like, “Man, this is the biggest support concert we’ve ever played!”), the festival atmosphere continued, everyone waiting eagerly for the headliner.
Moments before Obama was set to come on at 7, the live music gave way to “Let’s Dance” by David Bowie. As the final notes died away, an expectant hush fell over the crowd, and the cameras zoomed in on the empty podium. A helicopter swooped across the sky and hovered above the Victory Column, and for a moment I expected Obama to alight. My friend, thinking the same thing, turned to me and said, “No, surely that would be too much.”
Obama walked across the stage, to thunderous applause. He got through about 12 thank yous and a few chuckles — including an outright laugh when someone let out a high-pitched “Ai-ai-ai!” — before the cheers subsided enough for him to speak. He thanked the people of Berlin (raucous applause), the people of Germany (hoots and cheers), and the hospitality of Chancellor Angela Merkel (dead silence) before getting down to business.
Obama was relaxed and in his element, and there were no real interruptions during his 45-minute speech, save for a duo running along the fence near us screaming profanity and wielding posters saying “No to the death penalty.” But the atmosphere remained jubilant, with everyone in good spirits.
As the crowds thinned afterward, some folks stayed in small groups on the grass while others headed for the beer stands, stepping over the carnage of plastic cups and plates. Two South African rugby players heatedly discussed Obama’s defeat of Hillary Clinton. A group of guys carrying a huge poster with “Prague (hearts) Obama!” got a lot of attention. They had never been to Prague — they’re from Amsterdam — but “thought it would be funny,” as they had a visit planned soon.
The vibe was such that everyone — myself included, felt as though they were in the middle of something historic, something revolutionary. And, as I sat bleary-eyed on the 5 a.m. train the next morning, I was glad to have been part of it.

Fiona Gaze can be reached at fgaze@praguepost.com


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