John Runnings

Who was John Runnings?

John Runnings was a peace protester also known as the "Wall Walker". Partly inspired by Mahatma Gandhi's work and nonviolent resistance in general, he is notable for his series of one-man protests against the Berlin Wall during the 1980s. These culminated in the construction of a largely symbolic, car-mounted battering ram. This particular action landed him with an 18-month prison sentence from the East German authorities. He was released after three months. The battering ram is exhibited in the Checkpoint Charlie Museum.

John was born on a homestead in Manitoba, Canada. His mother died of influenza when he was about one year of age. His father, who now had several children to care for alone, decided, as John put it, to "farm out" most of the children to relatives. John's father's sister, who lived in southern Ontario, reluctantly agreed to become John's guardian until he came of age. John lived on her farm until about age 25, when he realised he had failed to register for the draft, so, during 1943, he was drafted.