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Germany Pegida: Protest leader quits in 'Hitler' row Germany Pegida: Protest leader quits amid 'Hitler' row
(about 2 hours later)
The head of German "anti-Islamisation" movement Pegida, Lutz Bachmann, has resigned after a photo of him apparently posing as Hitler emerged. The head of Germany's "anti-Islamisation" movement has quit after a photo showing him apparently posing as Hitler was published in newspapers.
Mr Bachmann stepped down just as tens of thousands of people were expected to rally in the eastern city of Leipzig for the latest Pegida rally. Lutz Bachmann is also being investigated by prosecutors over disparaging comments about refugees attributed to him by German newspapers.
Prosecutors are investigating insulting comments about refugees attributed to him by German newspapers. He stepped down as thousands of people gathered in the eastern city of Leipzig for the Pegida movement's latest rally.
A Pegida spokeswoman sought to play down the Facebook photo as a "joke". Mr Bachmann has apologised for his "ill-considered" remarks.
But the German government condemned the photo. Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel told Bild: "Anyone in politics who poses as Hitler is either a total idiot or a Nazi. Reasonable people do not follow idiots, and decent people don't follow Nazis." A Pegida spokeswoman sought to play down the "Hitler" photo as a "joke".
Pegida focused on Leipzig after police banned a protest by the movement in Dresden on Monday over reports of an assassination plot against the movement's leaders. But the German government condemned it. Vice-Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel told Bild: "Anyone in politics who poses as Hitler is either a total idiot or a Nazi. Reasonable people do not follow idiots, and decent people don't follow Nazis."
Pegida has focused on Leipzig after police banned a protest by the movement in Dresden on Monday over reports of an assassination plot against the movement's leaders.
What is Pegida?What is Pegida?
What is Pegida?What is Pegida?
A spokesman for state prosecutors in Dresden, the east German city which has been the focus of Pegida rallies this winter, told Reuters news agency that preliminary proceedings had been opened over comments attributed to Mr Bachmann.A spokesman for state prosecutors in Dresden, the east German city which has been the focus of Pegida rallies this winter, told Reuters news agency that preliminary proceedings had been opened over comments attributed to Mr Bachmann.
"The suspicion is of incitement to popular hatred," the spokesman said."The suspicion is of incitement to popular hatred," the spokesman said.
Bild and another newspaper said Mr Bachmann had called asylum seekers "animals" and "scumbags". Bild said Mr Bachmann had called asylum seekers "animals" and "scumbags".
Mr Bachmann has denied he is a racist, Mr Bachmann, who denies he is a racist, apologised for remarks that he said were "ill-considered comments that I wouldn't make in this way today".
Kathrin Oertel, a fellow founder of the Pegida movement, confirmed the resignation of Mr Bachmann, saying it related to online comments and not the photo. Kathrin Oertel, a fellow founder of the Pegida movement, said: "Pegida will go on."
"Pegida will go on," she added.
The movement has forced its way on to the political agenda in Germany with rallies that have attracted tens of thousands of people.The movement has forced its way on to the political agenda in Germany with rallies that have attracted tens of thousands of people.
Deadly attacks by Islamist militants in Paris this month have fuelled anti-Muslim feeling.
In Leipzig, Pegida supporters gathered under German flags as riot police stood by.