Environmentalists don't object to the parade just to park damage

The environmentalists applied for permission to hold a protest in the park on 14 July 2001 last September.

This effectively blocked the application of the Love Parade organisers, who did not apply until the following month.

Berlin Mayor Eberhard Diepgen appealed to the organisers of the parade to move it to another date.

But Love Parade spokesman Enric Nitzsche said they cannot reschedule since participants and travel agencies have already made plans.

The Love Parade - which consists of dancing techno-fans following speaker-laden trucks through Berlin's Tiergarten Park - has been held on the second Saturday in July since 1989.

It began as a small procession of 150 people but has evolved into a huge party, with the side-effects of crime and litter on a grand scale.

Glitter and glamour are de rigeur for the Berlin festival

The city senator responsible for internal affairs, Eckardt Wertheback, said that all the Saturdays around 14 July are also booked this year.

Love Parade organisers have said that other routes or other dates are unacceptable.

Werthebach said he still hoped the event would take place this year, citing the boost it gives to Berlin's image as a lively, young metropolis.

The Love Parade brings millions of pounds of business for Berlin shops, hotels and restaurants.

It is not clear if an alternative route will be found in time for this year's parade, but the organisers have secured the date for 2002.