Counter-protests dwarf German anti-Islam rallies

A record 18,000 people marched on the streets of Dresden on Monday (5 January) against what they call the Islamisation of Europe, but counter-protests outnumbered them all over Germany.

Launched in October, the so-called Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West (Pegida) movement has been growing steadily in support over the past few weeks. It organises "evening strolls" every Monday in the former east German town, where the far-right is more present than in other parts of Germany. Neo-nazi marches are held every year in Dresden, accompanied by counter-marches, on the day commemorating the Allied bombing of the town.

On Monday, counter-demonstrations in support of refugees and a "colourful" Germany were held in Dresden and attracted 3,000 people, but in other major German cities, they outnumbered Pegida supporters.

In Berlin, police estimates that some 5,000 counter-demonstrators blocked hundreds of Pegida supporters from marching along their planned route. DPS news agency estimates that a total of 22,000 anti-Pegida demonstrators gathered in Stuttgart, Muenster and Hamburg.

http://euobserver.com/social/127095

It is great to see so many Germans march against the anti-Islam haters.

I love the "support of refugees and a "colourful" Germany". A desire for a 'colourful Germany is not something many non-Germans think of with regard to the country.