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Go away, guards tell Berlin-bound revellers (1st Lead)

Dec 31, 2007, 22:04 GMT

Berlin - Organizers of a gigantic New Year street party in the German capital Berlin declared the event full two hours before midnight and appealed to latecomers Monday to go elsewhere. They said it would be unsafe to let any more people enter the 2,000-metre-long cordoned-off area in front of the landmark Brandenburg Gate. Hundreds of thousands of revellers were dancing on the streets and waiting for a 10-minute fireworks show at midnight, accompanied by Don't Stop Me Now, a 1978 track by British rock group Queen. The late-night party for 1 million people was being entertained live by top German bands including all-female pop trio Monrose and a foursome, Room 2012, both formed in television talent quests. The lawns and avenues are the annual scene of Germany's biggest New Year celebrations, with the crowds dancing between the Gate, a triumphal arch erected by the kings of Prussia, and the Victory Column, a 19th century tower made of captured enemy cannons. The top concert spots went to US singer Lutricia McNeal and the local bands, which were originally selected from successful entrants to the German version of the TV talent show Popstars. © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Europe News

Go away, guards tell Berlin-bound revellers (1st Lead)

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