Hundreds of Germans Protest against NATO in Ramstein (+Video)
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Thousands of individuals congregated in the southwestern German town of Ramstein to voice their opposition to US military dominance and called for the withdrawal of American forces from Germany.
Around one thousand activists staged a protest on Saturday in front of the US Ramstein Air Base in Germany, as depicted in footage showing them marching with banners bearing messages such as 'Army go home - Peace' and 'No arms supplies to Kiev'.
The demonstrators reportedly express criticism towards NATO and demand an immediate halt to the supply of weaponry to Ukraine, along with the initiation of peace talks with Russia.
According to local media, over 900 protesters assembled in front of the airbase, participating in speeches and musical performances. The nearby Bahnhofstrasse station experienced congestion due to the large number of people present, but the police confirmed that the event remained peaceful.
On Friday, European Union foreign ministers reached an agreement to raise the military aid fund for Ukraine by 3.5 billion euros, intended to finance arms and ammunition for Kiev.
In recent months, multiple protests have taken place throughout Germany, condemning the country's involvement in the Russia-Ukraine conflict through the shipment of weapons to Kiev.
In late February 2022, Russia initiated military action in Ukraine after acknowledging the independence of the Donetsk and Lugansk People's Republics (DPR and LPR). Russia claimed that Kiev had failed to ensure their special status as stipulated in the 2014 Minsk Agreements, and called on Ukraine to officially declare neutrality and provide assurances of non-membership in NATO.
Kiev denounced the Russian action as an invasion. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky declared martial law nationwide and announced a general mobilization. The European Union and the United States imposed several rounds of sanctions on Moscow in response.