Anti-Islamist Group Pegida Prepares First Rally in Spain’s Catalonia

The Spanish branch of the German anti-Islamic group Pegida is planning to hold a rally in Catalonia. The group is organizing demonstrations against the Islamization of Europe.

MOSCOW, January 29 (Sputnik) — The Spanish wing of the German anti-Islamist group the Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West (Pegida) is preparing to hold its first rally in the Spanish autonomous region of Catalonia, the secretary general of political party Platform for Catalonia told Sputnik on Thursday.

“In a few weeks they will organize an important rally that will possibly be held in Catalonia,” Robert Hernando said.

Platform for Catalonia is the only Spanish political party that openly supports Pegida.

The organization attended the Dresden manifestation, joined by over 18,000 people who said that the country must be free of Islamization.

Hernando stated that Pegida continues its expansion in Spain, adding that two divisions of the group already exist in the country, that are Pegida Spain and Pegida Catalonia.

However, Hernando said that the Pegida members do not want to communicate with the media at the moment, preferring to focus on the group's expansion.

“They don’t want to appear in the press at the moment,” Hernando said.

According to Hernando, Pegida wants to present itself as a civil movement, and expressed concern that European media see the party as a neo-Nazi group.

Pegida was founded in Dresden, Germany in October 2014, and is known for organizing weekly demonstrations against the Islamization of Europe.

Each time, a growing number of people joins demonstrations organized by Pegida, with its January 12 rally reportedly attended by over 25,000 people.