BERLIN (Reuters) - Dozens of American and German supporters of U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry rallied in front of Berlin's Brandenburg Gate on Sunday to mark the U.S. Fourth of July holiday.They carried banners in the center of the German capital criticizing President Bush and handed out leaflets urging U.S. expatriates in Berlin to register to vote in November.
"More than 10,000 live in Berlin," read a leaflet, printed in German and English. "They can vote but most don't. Do you want a new American president? Then tell an American to vote."
Among the anti-Bush banners carried was a poster saying "Freedom and Democracy, U.S.-American Style - Shame!" that included a picture of a hooded Iraq prisoner being abused. "Drop Bush, not Bombs" read another poster.
A few hundred meters (yards) away, the German chapter of Republicans Abroad staged a voter register drive at a Fourth of July party next to the Bundestag parliament building. The Republicans said the expatriate vote could decide the election.
