The organizer of the demonstration, "Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident," (Patriotische Europäer gegen Islamisierung des Abendlandes in German) or PEGIDA has been setting up similar protests over the past ten weeks to condemn what they see as the increasing impact of Islamic culture on Germany.
The group estimates that over 20,000 people have shown up.
"Incredible Dresden! Well above 20,000 people! It was OVERWHELMING! Thanks a lot to those who made a long way to come here! Have a safe trip back home! You are all very important! WE ARE THE PEOPLE! DRESDEN SHOWS HOW IT SHOULD BE! Merry Christmas!» Pegida said in a post on the group’s Facebook page.
A similar rally drew 15,000 people a week earlier.
The management of the opera house demonstrated its distaste by turning the building's lights off and flying flags outside that read: "Open your eyes", "Open your hearts", "Open doors" and "The dignity of the human being is inviolable," the first line of German Basic Law, the country's constitution, according to Deutsche Welle reports.
#Germany holds largest anti-immigrant rally to date as 17,000 gather in eastern city of Dresden http://t.co/16apNZ6Tzb
— Pedro da Costa (@pdacosta) 22 декабря 2014
The anti-Islamization movement has been recently accused of neo-Nazi sentiments. But PEGIDA followers insist they had no Nazi connections and call themselves "patriots" concerned by the "watering down" of Germany's Christian-rooted culture and traditions.
The demonstrations, however, sparked the opposition into action.
6000.17000, 24000, 35000… now #Pegida The movement is a scale that Germany would not have suspected. pic.twitter.com/qWKVKNNYOX
— EnaLolena (@EnaLolena) 22 декабря 2014
Around 4,000 counter-demonstrators marched through Dresden under the slogan "Nazi-free," warning there was no place for racism and xenophobia in a country marred by racial hatred during World War II.
Ironically, Adolph Hitler had a positive impression of Islam, according to his personal architect Albert Speer, who addressed the matter in his best-selling 1970 book, Inside the Third Reich. According to Speer, Hitler believed the warlike religion of the Arabs was more suited to Germany than Christianity, "with its meekness and flabbiness".
25.000 people singing Xmas songs against Islamization of Europe #pegida #dresden #islam #Germany pic.twitter.com/CpFYz33da3
— Tommy Robinson (@TRobinsonNewEra) 22 декабря 2014
Bonn saw both an anti-immigration rally organized by the group BOGIDA (Bonn against the Islamization of the Occident), which attracted several hundred followers, and a larger counter-rally with thousands of demonstrators.
Similar anti-PEGIDA demonstrations took place in Munich, where at least 12,000 people participated. Berlin, Rostock, Würzburg, and Düsseldorf also saw counter-protests in opposition to the movement.
Record 17,000 join nationalist march in Germany http://t.co/N6X9ZlxgOZ #Dresden #Pegida #Dresden #theGuardian
— Mr Critical (@MrCritical2) 23 декабря 2014
According to a recent YouGov poll, 30 percent of Germans completely support the Anti-Islamist protest movement and another 19 percent are mostly supportive; an additional 26 percent are somewhat sympathetic to the movement. Only 23 percent of Germans are opposed to the movement, including 13 percent who are completely against it.
Germany has been the most refugee-friendly of all the EU nations, according to data obtained by the UN human rights commission’s refugee agency in Berlin.
Most refugees coming to Germany are from conflict-hit Muslim countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as several African and Balkan countries.
