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| Germany Pegida protests: Rallies over 'Islamisation' | |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Supporters and opponents of a group campaigning against what it sees as the "Islamisation" of Europe are holding rival rallies across Germany. | Supporters and opponents of a group campaigning against what it sees as the "Islamisation" of Europe are holding rival rallies across Germany. |
| There have been weekly protests by the Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West (Pegida) since October. | There have been weekly protests by the Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West (Pegida) since October. |
| A record 17,500 people turned out at one rally in Dresden last month. | A record 17,500 people turned out at one rally in Dresden last month. |
| But counter demonstrations have sprung up and the group has been condemned by senior German politicians. | But counter demonstrations have sprung up and the group has been condemned by senior German politicians. |
| Thousands of people are marching in Berlin, Cologne, Dresden and Stuttgart. | Thousands of people are marching in Berlin, Cologne, Dresden and Stuttgart. |
| In Cologne, the authorities have switched the lights off at the city's cathedral as a way of telling Pegida supporters they are supporting "extremists". | In Cologne, the authorities have switched the lights off at the city's cathedral as a way of telling Pegida supporters they are supporting "extremists". |
| "We don't think of it as a protest, but we would like to make the many conservative Christians [who support Pegida] think about what they are doing," the dean of the cathedral, Norbert Feldhoff, told the BBC. | "We don't think of it as a protest, but we would like to make the many conservative Christians [who support Pegida] think about what they are doing," the dean of the cathedral, Norbert Feldhoff, told the BBC. |
| Much of the city centre in Cologne was also plunged into darkness as lights were switched off at major buildings and bridges across the Rhine, according to the news agency DPA. | Much of the city centre in Cologne was also plunged into darkness as lights were switched off at major buildings and bridges across the Rhine, according to the news agency DPA. |
| In Dresden, where the largest anti-Islam rallies are taking place, carmaker Volkswagen said it was also keeping its manufacturing plant dark to show that the company "stands for an open, free and democratic society." | In Dresden, where the largest anti-Islam rallies are taking place, carmaker Volkswagen said it was also keeping its manufacturing plant dark to show that the company "stands for an open, free and democratic society." |
| German Chancellor Angela Merkel attacked the movement in her new year speech, saying its leaders have "prejudice, coldness, even hatred in their hearts". | German Chancellor Angela Merkel attacked the movement in her new year speech, saying its leaders have "prejudice, coldness, even hatred in their hearts". |
| A poll of just over 1,000 people carried out by Germany's Stern magazine found one in eight Germans would join an anti-Islam march if Pegida organised one near their home. | A poll of just over 1,000 people carried out by Germany's Stern magazine found one in eight Germans would join an anti-Islam march if Pegida organised one near their home. |
| Germany receives more refugees and asylum seekers than any other EU country. Many of those have come from war-torn Syria. | Germany receives more refugees and asylum seekers than any other EU country. Many of those have come from war-torn Syria. |