U2 Berlin Wall event stirs up controversy

U2 performed a short set in Germany on Thursday, November 5th to mark the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. According to the Associated Press, the band kicked off show at the Brandenburg Gate with the hit song "One." Frontman Bono thanked the crowd "for coming out in the cold" before wishing Berlin a happy birthday. The 30-minute, six-song set also featured "Beautiful Day," "Vertigo," a cover of Bob Marley's "Get Up, Stand Up," as well as a special guest appearance by Jay-Z on "Sunday Bloody Sunday." But the free concert wasn't without controversy for the some 10,000 ticketholders who attended. Concertgoers couldn't see a lot of the show because it was obscured by 6-1/2-foot high metal barrier put up temporarily to prevent non-ticketholders from getting in to the event. Fans were upset that they couldn't get a good view of U2 -- an interesting situation considering the concert was put on to recognize 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Local politician Frank Henkel tells BBC News, "It's a shame that a barrier has been set up. It's stopping many Berliners from hearing the concert."

The Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989, signaling the end of nearly 30 years of Cold War division between the communist East and the democratic West.

The U2 show was part of the MTV Europe Music Awards.