Speech at the 20th Anniversary of the Fall of the Wall

November 9^th.

"Honourable Members of Parliament,
Honourable Members of the ethnic community,
Madame Consul General,
Ladies and Gentlemen".

Today we are celebrating the anniversary of the fall of the "Mauer". (The Wall)

What an event, what a night it was. The joy! The jubilation, it was indescribable, it touched the whole world.

I remember the confusion that preceded the opening of the wall.

It all began when the communist press speaker Schabowski, a member of the Politbuereau and Zentralkommittee, read and reread by mistake a press release of new travel regulations that were not meant to be released at that time.

It was that press release that was the beginning of the end for East Germany.

It set the wheels in motion.

People started to gather at the crossovers and it became a sea of humanity that couldn’t be contained.

The gates opened.

I remember watching those joyful people streaming across Check Point Charley, climbing the wall, hugging and kissing.

I remember the tears of joy running down my cheeks, looking at those people who were free at last.

It marked the end of a communist dominated Eastern Europe and started the process for a united Europe.

Today we must also remember those events and people whose actions preceded the fall of the wall, those who laid the groundwork that made it possible and enabled the Berliners to survive.

We must remember with gratitude the Americans - Canadians and their pilots who provided food and energy to an isolated city in the face of Soviet aggression.

We think with gratitude of the many pilots who died in making sure that a free Berlin did go on.

We remember President Kennedy who instilled confidence to the Berliners

When he said in his speech to hundreds of thousands "Ich bin ein Berliner"

We remember President Reagan when he said at the Brandenburg Gate:
"Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate. Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall"

But I think that most of all, we have to thank Mr. Gorbachev. Without him and his policy of perestroika and glasnost, this wonderful event would not have happened.

It was the fundamental changes in the Soviet Union that he initiated that made this dramatic change in Europe possible.

There is one more person that needs to be talked about and that is Chancellor Kohl.

It was his determination and ability to persuade - assure and convince the former allies to consider and agree to the unification of Germany.

An enormous achievement, when we consider that it shifted the balance of power from the east to the west.

Last but definitely not least, I like to remember those Leipzig Monday demonstrations that preceded all that happiness.

We must remember the determined people with their candles and banners reading "We are the people", "Wir sind das Volk".

They inspired a country and stimulated other cities to follow.

They risked much, they risked their life, as many had fallen victim to this oppressive, brutal system before, but in the end they toppled the regime and set events into motion that changed the world.

Democracy had won over communist dictatorship.

The world has become a safer place because of the changes that happened 20 years ago.

They were joyful events, but they should also remind us that political freedom is far from inevitable.

Freedom sometimes demands a price and we must recognize it and be willing to pay it.

Thank you