Thousands protest drone warfare at U.S. base in Germany

A crowd of several thousand formed a human chain around a U.S. Air Force base in Germany on Saturday in protest of American drone warfare in the Middle East.

The demonstrators object to the use of Ramstein Air Base as a support location for drone strikes in places like Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen, arguing that the practice violates the German constitution. The U.S. has maintained a significant military presence in Germany since the end of World War II.

Drone war is comparatively popular in the United States, but it faces wide disapproval abroad. The tactic, which critics say encourages a casual approach to military intervention, continues to be controversial in Germany, particularly in light of evidence that as many as 90 percent of strike casualties are innocent civilians.

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