UK’s first ‘anti-Islamisation’ rally dwarfed by counter-demonstration

An estimated 375 people turned out for the Germany-based PEGIDA movement’s first demonstration in Britain on Saturday, but were outnumbered by a 2,000-strong crowd of counter-protesters, police said. PEGIDA has drawn large crowds in Germany to protest against what it calls the “Islamisation” of Europe, and small demonstrations have also taken place in Austria and Sweden. Police in the northeast English city of Newcastle, said five men were arrested “for isolated incidents” but insisted both the PEGIDA march and the Newcastle Unites protest passed off smoothly.

We’ve invited Muslims to join us against extremism, extremism of any kind. I don’t think it’s wrong to stand up to terrorism. Is that hate?

PEGIDA’s spokeswoman in Britain, Marion Rogers

Extra police had been deployed in the city, which was also hosting a Premier League football match between Newcastle United and Aston Villa, and there were some angry confrontations as officers kept the two protests apart. One steward said there was a brief scuffle involving members of far-right groups which temporarily damaged PEGIDA’s PA system. Some people attending held up flags of the xenophobic National Front group. PEGIDA — which stands for the Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West — drew up to 25,000 people in German street rallies last month.

It is absolutely extraordinary that a German organisation sets up in the UK — it’s not as if there is a lack of right-wing nutter organisations here.

Left-wing firebrand lawmaker George Galloway

Pegida Europe