ProgressOhio

From The Local: Germany's News In English

Over 200,000 jubilant Barack Obama supporters shut down the centre of Berlin on Thursday evening to listen to the US presidential candidate give an impassioned speech on the global challenges of the 21st century.

People from all walks of life streamed to the German capital’s Victory Column memorial at the heart of the city’s Tiergarten park hoping to glimpse of the popular US senator from Illinois.

“Thank you to the citizens of Berlin and to the people of Germany,” Obama told the crowd to wild applause. "Tonight, I speak to you not as a candidate for president, but as a citizen – a proud citizen of the United States, and a fellow citizen of the world.”

As the sun set on the German capital, the predominately younger audience of Berliners listened intently to Obama speak of the common problems facing Europe and America.

“As we speak, cars in Boston and factories in Beijing are melting the ice caps in the Arctic, shrinking coastlines in the Atlantic, and bringing drought to farms from Kansas to Kenya,” Obama said.

“Poorly secured nuclear material in the former Soviet Union, or secrets from a scientist in Pakistan could help build a bomb that detonates in Paris. The poppies in Afghanistan become the heroin in Berlin. The poverty and violence in Somalia breeds the terror of tomorrow. The genocide in Darfur shames the conscience of us all.”

German television broadcast the speech live, as some 1,000 police officers, US Secret Service and private security guards were mobilized for the visit.

Prior to his address, Berliners gave the event a festival atmosphere, grilling sausages and selling beer near the site of the speech, which has frequently been used for large public gatherings.

The massive show of support underscored how deeply dissatisfied many Germans are with the leadership of US President George W. Bush, who remains unpopular in Europe for his decision to invade Iraq and his apparent reluctance to tackle issues like global warming.