PEGIDA:
Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West
We stand for this! Down with all radical trash!

We reported on Saturday about a demonstration against Salafism by “right-wing extremists” in Cologne. Similar demonstrations have also taken place in Dresden under the leadership of an anti-Islamization group called PEGIDA.

Many thanks to JLH for translating this article about yesterday’s demo from Sächsischen Zeitung:

Demonstration Against Alleged “Islamization”

More than 500 Dresdeners demonstrated peacefully in the inner city yesterday against “religious war” on German soil. It was the second demonstration of a group called PEGIDA — “Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West.” The organizers intend to march in Dresden every Monday evening as long as the political system does not take on the problem.

Lutz Bahmann, one of the organizers, said to applause: “With understanding for all the misery and horror of the warlike confrontations in all the war-torn areas of the earth, we Germans and Europeans cannot be the reception center of the world, and bring these wars to our own streets, no matter how beautiful our land is.” He emphasized the rejection of violence, from whatever direction it may come. Isolated right extremist slogans could be heard, however.

After the protests had been announced, a large police presence cordoned off the demonstration. Last week, speakers for the Left Party had reported “harassment” of opponents of this allegedly “rightist” demonstration. This, however, was confirmed neither by the police nor the office of public order. The riots in Cologne may also have contributed to the police presence.