LEGIDA

LEGIDA is the Leipzig off-shoot of the Dresden-based anti-Islam movement PEGIDA, a German acronym for Patriotic Europeans Against Islamisation of the West. Leipzig is also in the east of Germany, around one hour away from where PEGIDA sprung up in the city of Dresden.

According to some sources it is 'more radical' than the original movement. The BBC has reported that short-lived PEGIDA leader Kathrin Oertel attempted to distance her group from the Leipzig branch and according to The Independent, prior to her departure PEGIDA’s leadership committee has been 'immersed in a bitter dispute over whether to join forces with Legida'.

LEGIDA was reportedly holding its own demonstrations, for example on 21 January 2015, a Wednesay, rather than the Monday evenings favoured by PEGIDA. A total of 100,000 people were expected to be involved in protests and counter-protests combined.

However, town officials have banned LEGIDA from using the same route historically taken by anti-communist dissidents in 1989, protests which ultimately led to the collapse of the Berlin Wall. According to The Guardian, former dissidents were angry at the street movement's use of the slogan “Wir sind das Volk” or “We are the people”, that was chanted 25 years ago.

On Friday 30 January 2015 just 900 people protetsed with LEGIDA - apparently 14,000 less than the previous week. Reports that the LEGIDA protests had featured 'violent outbursts' may have contributed to the fall in popularity.

LEGIDA is reportedly regarded as 'a militant far-right grouping in which racism and conspiracy-theory doctrine abound'. Many of its adherents 'believe in racial supremacy, advocate a rapprochement with Russia and the withdrawal of US forces from Germany'.

Affiliations

• PEGIDA