Berlin bans actors from impersonating US soldiers at iconic Cold War crossing

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Authorities in Berlin have banned a group of actors from wearing U.S. Army uniforms at Checkpoint Charlie, the famous Cold War-era crossing that divided the city and was heavily guarded by Soviet and American troops.

Officials said the actors from the group known as the Dance Factory aggressively demanded a $4 fee for posing for photos with tourists, the Bild newspaper reported. A police undercover operation found the actors verbally abusing those who refused to pay.

The paper reported earnings at the tourist spot sometimes reach $5,500 a day. Tom Luszeit, who leads the group, said he's had to fire six actors because of the ban.

A tourist takes pictures of students dressed as U.S. Army soldiers at the former Allied Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin in 2006 (REUTERS/Fabrizio Bensch, GERMANY)

"But we're not giving up, we want to go back there," he said.

Groups who charge for photos in Berlin are required to secure a permit, the BBC reported.

People have been impersonating American troops at Checkpoint Charlie for nearly 20 years. The area was one of three crossing points that divided East and West Berlin and became a symbol of the Cold War.

It was the sight of a tense standoff between U.S. and Soviet tanks in October 1961, shortly after the Berlin Wall was constructed.

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Burkhard Kieker, the head of the city's tourism agency, Visit Berlin, called the site an "eyesore" in an interview with the Tagesspiegel daily.

Since the reunification of Germany nearly 30 years ago, it has become one of Berlin's main tourist attractions. However, many Berliners have complained about the "Disneyfication" of the site, where replica Red Army fur hats, gas masks and pieces of the Berlin Wall are sold.

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