Removal of Berlin Wall section put on hold following protests

BERLIN – A real estate developer has put on hold until at least mid-March plans to remove part of one of the few remaining sections of the Berlin Wall.

On Friday, hundreds of angry protesters prevented construction workers from removing all but a tiny piece of the 22-meter (72-foot) section of the East Side Gallery wall to make way for an access path for a luxury housing project.

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Several thousand demonstrators protested against the construction plans on Sunday.

Work was supposed to resume this week but Volker Thoms, a spokesman for project investor Maik Uwe Hinkel, said Monday it has been put on hold until at least March 18.

A forum that brings authorities together with locals is scheduled to meet on that day. Over the weekend, Hinkel spoke with Berlin’s mayor.