East Germans Mark 36th Anniversary

East German tanks and armored cars rolled through East Berlin on Monday in a military parade to mark the 36th anniversary of the founding of the Communist state.

Head of state Erich Honecker looked on as Defense Minister Heinz Hoffmann led columns of soldiers and sailors marching down the wide, flag-bedecked Karl-Marx-Allee, formerly known as Stalin Allee.

Crowds gathered under signs declaring “Fraternal Bonds With the Soviet Union Are the Basis of Our Future” and “Space Must Be Demilitarized”--a reference to Washington’s project for a space-based weapons system.

Uniformed U.S. and British soldiers also watched, exercising their rights in the city under post-World War II agreements with their former Soviet allies.

Diplomats said the United States, Britain and France will protest to Moscow about the parade, which they say violates statutes declaring both East and West Berlin demilitarized.