Every Monday since the beginning of October, protesters have taken to the streets of Dresden, Germany, under the banner of “Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident” (PEGIDA). While the initial protests in early October saw 350 demonstrators in attendance, the numbers have risen week by week, reaching 25,000 on January 12.
Up until very recently, PEGIDA demonstrators have largely refused to speak to the media, who they accuse of manipulating their message. In spite of this, VICE News traveled to Dresden to witness one of the continent’s largest anti-Islamic movements and to discover what PEGIDA’s aims are for Germany and for Europe as a whole.