E. Berliners Wild About ‘Gorby’
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BERLIN — After charming crowds in Washington, Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev today plunged into throngs of East Berlin well-wishers who cheered, applauded and said they wanted to “see Gorby.”
Thousands of people waited for hours in icy winds and near-freezing temperatures along Gorbachev’s motorcade route from Schoenefeld Airport before his arrival from Washington. In an unusual move, Gorbachev and his wife, Raisa, strode hand in hand toward the crowd, shaking hands and exchanging greetings. “I’ve been watching these things for years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” said a middle-aged man, who asked that his name not be used.
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