MOSCOW (Sputnik) — German anti-Islamist movement Pegida presented Tatjana Festerling, a former activist from a right-wing party, as its candidate at the Dresden mayoral election, local media reported Monday.
Pegida chief Lutz Bachmann announced the nomination during a weekly protest on Easter Monday. The rally in the Saxony capital attracted more than 7,000 people, up from last week's 2,900, according to police estimates. There was no counter-demonstration.
Addressing the flag-waving crowd, Festerling said, "Yes, I'll do it… Let us use this historic chance. We, the people, will win in Dresden," according to the regional news outlet MOPO 24. The election is scheduled for June 7.
Pegida emerged originally as a grassroots movement seeking to curb the inflow of immigrants and put an end to Germany's alleged Islamization. Festerling joined the group only two months ago, after she quit the euroskeptic Alternative for Germany (AfD) over a split in its leadership.
