News / Germany

PEGIDA overwhelmed by counter rallies across Germany

Tuesday, 27 January 2015 2:07 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 27 January 2015 2:08 AM ]

Demonstrators holding a banner which reads ''The Islam is part of Saxony'' at the rally protesting PEGIDA in front of a church in Dresden, Germany on January 26, 2015.

Tens of thousands of protesters have taken part in protests against the anti-Muslim and immigration group PEGIDA across Germany.

PEGIDA’s latest protests were overwhelmed by counter-rallies across the country and a rock concert on Monday.

Over 22,000 Germans took part in an anti-PEGIDA rally and a concert held by German rock groups in Dresden, where the far-right group has been holding weekly rallies since October.

"It's horrible and sad what's been happening in some people's minds lately -- creating an atmosphere of hysteria where one religious group is being targeted as the scapegoat. It's absurd, mean, unjust, undemocratic and completely unacceptable, said best selling German musician Herbert Groenemeyer.

"There are 4 million Muslims in Germany and they are just as much a part of our 'economic miracle' as all the other religions in Germany," said Groenemeyer.

The PEGIDA movement, which is a staunch opponent of Muslims and asylum seekers, began to launch rallies in October and has managed to attract thousands of supporters across Germany since then.

PEGIDA is a German acronym which stands for the “Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West.”

Counter rallies

Over 15,000 anti-PEGIDA demonstrators gathered in Frankfurt to outnumber the 70 PEGIDA protesters, Reuters reported.

Also on Monday, more than 2,300 demonstrators showed up to an anti-PEGIDA rally in Munich against an 800-man PEGIDA gathering.

And in Berlin, 500 pro-PEGIDA protesters were met with over 1,000 counter-protesters.

Ruining Germany’s image

On Sunday, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the anti-Muslim movement was harming the country’s image abroad.

“Whether we want it or not, the world is watching Germany with great attention…. PEGIDA does not speak in Germany’s name,” Steinmeier emphasized during an interview.

Founder quits

Following public outrage over the circulation of a picture of the movement’s founder posing as Adolf Hitler, he quit on Wednesday.

The picture, which was taken two years ago, showed Lutz Bachmann looking vengefully into the camera while wearing a toothbrush mustache and having combed the bulk of his hair to one side as used the German despot.

SRK/NT/AS

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