E. Germans Free American Who Protested Atop Wall

East Germany on Friday released an American an hour after he was taken into custody while walking about 700 yards along the top of the Berlin Wall, occasionally whacking at it with a sledgehammer, witnesses and a U.S. spokesman said.

East German officials released John Runnings, 68, of Seattle, to the U.S. Embassy in East Berlin. He was later taken to the U.S. consular office in West Berlin, according to Thomas Homan, a U.S. spokesman in West Berlin.

Runnings was taken into custody Thursday by East German border guards after he ignored calls by guards on both side of the wall to come down. East German guards, using a ladder climbed to the top of the wall which varies in height from 9 to 13 feet and took him into custody near the Checkpoint Charlie crossing point.

Runnings’ walk on the wall required a good sense of balance as the wall is topped by a concrete pipe placed horizontally to prevent would-be escapers from grabbing a firm hand hold in efforts to scale the barrier. He had used a ladder to get to the top of the wall from the West Berlin side.

Protesting the barrier

Runnings told witnesses on the western side that he was protesting the barrier, which separates Communist East Berlin from West Berlin. He said his action signified “non-recognition of the division imposed by military power and non-recognition of the global military conflict.”

Wednesday is the 25th anniversary of the start of construction of the wall, which was built by East Germany to stop its people from fleeing to the West.

Runnings has staged similar protests at the wall before.

“He was advised by U.S. officials of the possible serious consequences of a repetition of such actions,” Homan said.

Communist border guards have standing orders to shoot any East Germans seen trying to scale the wall.