Confrontation Between Supporters and Opponents of the Anti-Islam Movement in Germany

On Monday, January 15, the number of demonstrators against the 'Islamization' of Europe in the city of Dresden, Germany, reached an unprecedented 18,000. Several cities in Germany also witnessed protests against anti-Islamic groups on the same day. A group named 'Pegida' has been holding demonstrations every Monday in Dresden since October 20 of the previous year, protesting against the increasing signs of Islamization in the country and the rising number of Muslim refugees residing in Germany. According to AFP, the Pegida demonstrations, which stands for 'Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West,' have consistently attracted larger crowds, with the number reaching an unprecedented 18,000 on Monday. According to German police, a separate demonstration of 3,000 people was also held in Dresden on the same day to oppose Pegida's views. Reports indicate that protests against Pegida in Berlin, Stuttgart, and Cologne were larger on Monday, drawing thousands of participants. The number of anti-Pegida demonstrators was reported to be around 5,000 each in Berlin and Stuttgart, with 'several thousand' in Cologne. In these cities, Pegida supporters also held demonstrations simultaneously, but reports indicate their numbers were fewer than those of their opponents. Meanwhile, in Cologne, the main church of the city turned off its lights on Monday in protest against Pegida, followed by the city hall and other public buildings also turning off their lights, plunging the old town into darkness. The controversial Pegida group claims its goal is to protect 'Judeo-Christian values.' The group has stated that it seeks tolerance for Muslims who have integrated into Western society, but it also opposes 'violent and misogynistic' ideologies. Pegida's opponents argue that neo-Nazi groups intend to re-emerge under the guise of Pegida's slogans and fuel anti-foreign sentiments in the country. Germany currently hosts the largest number of refugees in Europe and ranks first in the world for immigration after the United States. A recent poll conducted in the last days of 2014 among Germans shows that one-third of the population supports demonstrations and protests against the 'Islamization' of the country, with one-eighth willing to participate personally in these marches.