EASTERN GERMANS PROTEST UNEMPLOYMENT

Leipzig's citizens, who led the mass protests against the former communist regime of East Germany, are protesting again, this time against widespread unemployment in eastern Germany. Vowing once again to demonstrate regularly on Monday nights, 60,000 Germans gathered on Monday in Leipzig's Augustplatz, formerly Karl Marx Platz. They waved banners criticizing German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, accusing him of breaking his election promise that, after reunification, no one in eastern Germany would be worse off.

The number of unemployed and reduced-time workers in eastern Germany is soaring, having reached a total of about 2.7 million out of about 8 million workers there, or 33.7 percent.

The Leipzigers were joined by about 40,000 protesters in the industrial city of Chemnitz and a few thousand in other eastern cities.

"If the chancellor doesn't come to us, then we should go to him," one of the speakers at the Leipzig rally said.

Mr. Kohl has decided to visit eastern Germany after Easter.