How Many Fans in Obama’s Fan Zone?

The countdown is running. In three days he’ll be in Berlin, speaking at the Victory Column.

Political pop-star Barack Obama – pictures of the Democratic presidential candidate will be carried live on the Fanmeile video walls in Berlin, and broadcast to the entire world.

But how many Berliners will be at his “fan zone” in the Seventeenth of June Street?

We’ve seen some stunning pictures of the 1.8 kilometers between the Goldelse and the Brandenburg Gate:

· 40,000 competitors running in the marathon

· 350,000 gays and lesbians in the Christopher Street Day parade

· 500,000 soccer fans during the semi-finals of the World Cup

· and even 1.2 million at the last Love Parade

“There are rumors that Americans from all over Europe want to come to Berlin because, as it looks right now, Obama will give an open-air speech,” says Jerry Gerber, spokesman for the group, U.S. Democrats in Berlin. There are about 13,400 U.S. citizens in the German capital alone.

Officials aren’t excluding any possibilities, and are estimating anywhere between 10,000 and a million Obama fans possible.

The fact is, Obama’s supporters are distributing flyers all over the city and inviting everyone to the big show – there won’t even be any barriers to speak of put up at the Tiergarten!

Obama’s day in Berlin (preliminary schedule):

9 AM: Landing in the Tegel airport military area.

Noon: Meeting with Angela Merkel, who is delaying the start of her vacation by one day.

2 PM: Conference with Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier

4 PM: Electioneering tour to Checkpoint Charlie, Tempelhof Airport, etc.

7 PM: Speech at the Victory Column – camera angles will ensure that the Brandenburg Gate, world-famous symbol of re-united Berlin – will be visible from time to time. The speech will last 45 minutes.

“His appearance will be a political high-wire act,” says historian Michael S. Cullen, “where Obama must state his positions without being seen as criticizing America from foreign soil.”

Friday, 9 AM: After a night behind bullet-proof glass in the security suite of either the Intercontinental or the Adlon Hotel, Obama jets on to Paris or London. His exact itinerary is top secret. Nonetheless, security level 2 is in effect (“Possibility of an attack cannot be excluded.”)