German anti-PEGIDA protesters renew calls for tolerance
German protesters have renewed calls for tolerance, dismissing as unfounded the ideas of the anti-Muslim movement Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the West or PEGIDA.
Chanting slogans against the far-right group, thousands of Germans took to the streets in the city of Leipzig on Wednesday.
"[I am protesting] because I support tolerance, and these alleged fears those people have are totally unfounded. That these people are afraid of Muslims, particularly the very few here in the East, it's just a joke," a protester said.
Anti-PEGIDA protesters said that refugees are welcome in Germany.
The PEGIDA movement, which is a staunch opponent of Muslims and asylum seekers, began to stage rallies in October last year and has since managed to attract thousands of supporters across Germany.
However, the group's anti-immigrant and anti-Islam protests have been condemned by the church, political leaders and businesses.
On Monday, thousands of people took to the streets of Munich, voicing anger against PEGIDA.
A study conducted by the Social Science Research Center in Berlin, presented on Monday by its director, Dieter Rucht, shows that the movement is losing steam.
Rucht’s team, from the universities of Bochum and Chemnitzm, analyzed online data to conduct the research. Rucht said he believed that the movement would continue to lose popularity because it was becoming very repetitive.
DB/NN/KA
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