Germany's Cologne Cathedral To Turn Off Lights In Protest At Anti-Muslim March

[rug]

Reuters
Posted: 01/02/2015 6:29 am EST
Updated: 1 hour ago

BERLIN, Jan 2 (Reuters) - One of Germany's most famous landmarks, Cologne Cathedral, will be plunged into darkness on Monday evening in protest at a march by a growing grass-roots anti-Muslim movement through the western German city, cathedral authorities said.

The rise of the group, Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA), has shaken Germany's political establishment, prompting Chancellor Angela Merkel to say in her New Year address that its leaders were racists full of hatred and citizens should beware being used.

PEGIDA's last weekly rally in the eastern city of Dresden attracted some 17,000 people, and the movement plans further marches in other cities, including through the center of Cologne on Monday night with a rally by the cathedral.

"PEGIDA is made up of an astonishingly broad mix of people, ranging from those in the middle of society to racists and the extreme right-wing," Cathedral Dean Norbert Feldhoff told Reuters.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/01/02/cologne-cathedral-anti-muslim-march_n_6405976.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PEGIDA

[pinto]

1. The rise of the intolerant, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, racist right in Europe is dangerous, imo.

17,000 people at a PEGIDA rally?

[babylonsister]

2. This is pretty damned scary.

I'm glad Angela Merkel and the powers that be in the cathedral are fighting back.

[cbayer]

3. Good for them. It's frightening what is going on over there.

Germany, the UK, Scandinavia - their bigotry is reaching a fever pitch.