Thousands of anti-Islamic protesters have marched in Germany,
claiming the jihadist attacks in France have vindicated their stance.
Police officers walk past burning trash cans at a counter-demonstration
against anti-Islamic protesters in Leipzig, Germany. Photo / AP
The latest march of the right-wing populist Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (Pegida) movement in the eastern city of Dresden came a day before Chancellor Angela Merkel and most of her cabinet were set to join a Muslim community rally for religious tolerance.
Undeterred, supporters of Pegida gathered for the latest of a string of rallies that have recently drawn 18,000 people onto the streets of Dresden in the former communist east Germany.
Marchers waved the German national flag and again chanted "We are the people", while some carried signs that read "they can't kill our freedom" and "Je suis Charlie", claiming solidarity with those killed in last week's Islamist attack on satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.
One carried a picture of Merkel wearing a Muslim facial veil,
mocking the chancellor who has urged citizens to stay away from Pegida
marches.
Merkel earlier said she and several members of her cabinet would on Tuesday attend a vigil organised by Muslim groups in Berlin to denounce extremist violence and social division.
"Germany wants peaceful co-existence of Muslims and members of other religions," Merkel told reporters after talks with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, adding that Tuesday's vigil would send "a very strong message".
She added that German President Joachim Gauck would speak at the Muslim community rally.
In other cities across Germany, those attending counter-protests outnumbered anti-Islam demonstrators by far.
Berlin police said 4000 people demonstrated against an anti-Islam rally of 400.
In Munich, 20,000 people took to the streets and only 1500 anti-Islam protesters showed up.
Leipzig police estimated that 15000 counter-protesters had showed up, along with many fewer anti-Islam demonstrators.
Dresden police said they could not yet give exact numbers for Monday night's rally, but last week's drew 18,000 people.
One of the organisers of the Dresden rally, Lutz Bachmann, told the crowds that "the terrible acts of Paris are further proof that Pegida is needed".
Some marchers held up placards with the names of the French journalists killed by Islamic militants in Paris. Others sported banners condemning the "lying press" that they claimed misrepresents their cause.
One marcher, Markus Bauer of Bautzen, said he had come to express his disgust about what he called the "ruling class".
"Wall Street controls them all. They are responsible for all the wars and people know that," he said.
The latest Pegida demonstration came after a firebombing early on Sunday of the offices a tabloid in the northern city of Hamburg that had reprinted cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad from Charlie Hebdo.
German police were investigating whether there was a link between the show of support for the French weekly and the arson attack but let two suspects detained Sunday go for lack of evidence.
As a security precaution, the eastern city of Leipzig, which saw its first Pegida-style demonstration on Monday with several hundred marchers, has banned displays of Muhammad cartoons.
The latest march of the right-wing populist Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (Pegida) movement in the eastern city of Dresden came a day before Chancellor Angela Merkel and most of her cabinet were set to join a Muslim community rally for religious tolerance.
Undeterred, supporters of Pegida gathered for the latest of a string of rallies that have recently drawn 18,000 people onto the streets of Dresden in the former communist east Germany.
Marchers waved the German national flag and again chanted "We are the people", while some carried signs that read "they can't kill our freedom" and "Je suis Charlie", claiming solidarity with those killed in last week's Islamist attack on satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo.
Merkel earlier said she and several members of her cabinet would on Tuesday attend a vigil organised by Muslim groups in Berlin to denounce extremist violence and social division.
"Germany wants peaceful co-existence of Muslims and members of other religions," Merkel told reporters after talks with Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu, adding that Tuesday's vigil would send "a very strong message".
She added that German President Joachim Gauck would speak at the Muslim community rally.
In other cities across Germany, those attending counter-protests outnumbered anti-Islam demonstrators by far.
Berlin police said 4000 people demonstrated against an anti-Islam rally of 400.
In Munich, 20,000 people took to the streets and only 1500 anti-Islam protesters showed up.
Leipzig police estimated that 15000 counter-protesters had showed up, along with many fewer anti-Islam demonstrators.
Dresden police said they could not yet give exact numbers for Monday night's rally, but last week's drew 18,000 people.
One of the organisers of the Dresden rally, Lutz Bachmann, told the crowds that "the terrible acts of Paris are further proof that Pegida is needed".
Some marchers held up placards with the names of the French journalists killed by Islamic militants in Paris. Others sported banners condemning the "lying press" that they claimed misrepresents their cause.
One marcher, Markus Bauer of Bautzen, said he had come to express his disgust about what he called the "ruling class".
"Wall Street controls them all. They are responsible for all the wars and people know that," he said.
The latest Pegida demonstration came after a firebombing early on Sunday of the offices a tabloid in the northern city of Hamburg that had reprinted cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad from Charlie Hebdo.
German police were investigating whether there was a link between the show of support for the French weekly and the arson attack but let two suspects detained Sunday go for lack of evidence.
As a security precaution, the eastern city of Leipzig, which saw its first Pegida-style demonstration on Monday with several hundred marchers, has banned displays of Muhammad cartoons.
