German anti-Islam march draws 25,000
Date January 13, 2015 - 5:25PM
Coralie Febvre
Record turnout: The anti-Islam PEGIDA marchers held a minute's silence and many wore black armbands. Photo: Reuters
Dresden: A record 25,000 people have joined an anti-Islamic march in Germany, claiming their stance is vindicated by last week's Paris jihadist attacks.
However, the turnout was dwarfed by 100,000 counter-demonstrators calling for tolerance.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel earlier stressed that "Islam belongs to Germany" and announced she would on Tuesday join a Muslim community rally in Berlin against extremism, along with most of her cabinet ministers.
The PEGIDA turnout was dwarfed by 100,000 counter-demonstrators calling for tolerance. Photo: Carsten Koall
Undeterred, supporters of the self-styled Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident, or PEGIDA, gathered for their 12th rally since October in Dresden.
The marchers on Monday waved the German flag and held placards that read "Fight Islamisation, stop the flood of foreigners now" and "Stop multiculturalism. My homeland will stay German".
Following last week's deadly Islamist attacks in Paris, they held a minute's silence and many wore black armbands. Some carried French flags and signs that read "They can't kill our freedom" and "Je suis Charlie", claiming solidarity with those killed in the attack on the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.
Political leaders had urged PEGIDA to call off their latest rally, saying it had no right to whip up hatred against Muslims in the name of solidarity with terror victims.
"It is simply disgusting how the people behind these protests are trying to exploit the despicable crimes in Paris," said Justice Minister Heiko Maas.
PEGIDA, meanwhile, spawned its first spin-off abroad on Monday, when 200 people rallied against Islam in Oslo.
Across Germany, however, revulsion with PEGIDA's xenophobic message has sparked growing counter demonstrations, which on Monday dwarfed the anti-foreigner movement and its regional clones.
AFP
