One killed in West Berlin as police charge squatters

Police charged eight buildings occupied by housing squatters in fighting that brought the first death in several months of riots. The swoop by 1,800 police yesterday followed an ultimatum by Heinrich Lummer, West Berlin's internal affairs senator, that the squatters leave the houses by Sept. 21.

In all cases, the squatters refused, a police spokesman said, but it was only in the Schoneberg district that violence erupted.

A police bulldozer powered through barricades protesters had erected and police cleared one of the occupied houses.

Street battles raged for four hours after police demanded over loudspeakers that the Schoneberg squatters leave.