Thousands of Europeans throughout the continent protested today against the Islam and Syrian refugee program. This caused them to clash with riot control police and groups that are pro-immigration.

In Dresden, Germany, there were around 2,000 people protesting at a rally that was created by “Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West,” which is a far-right group that is condemning the Syrian refugee resettlement program. This demonstration today in Dresden is the biggest amongst all the other demonstrations that the group has put together in cities across Europe.

The group is referred to as PEGIDA, which is its German acronym. The group was started two years ago in Dresden and has quickly spread throughout Europe.

Nationalist groups throughout Europe have harshly criticized the increasing amount of refugees that are being let into their countries. These refugees come from the Middle East, Asia and Africa. Today there are protests being planned throughout cities in the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, Poland, France and Britain.

In the capital city of Prague, thousands of people protested against bringing in refugees into the city. There were also other groups out there who supported the refugee program. This caused the protestors to fight with the supporters, which ultimately ended up being stopped by the police.

Martin Konvicka, who is head of the movement against Muslims, says the refugees coming into Europe are creating an “invasion” that is a “huge threat for us all.” There are two other anti-Muslim groups protesting throughout Prague and another Czech city called Brno.

In Dublin, Ireland, fights broke out after PEGIDA began to form in that city as well.

In Birmingham, it was reported that 200 members of PEGIDA clashed with 60 people opposed to the organization. Some of the left-wing demonstrators yelled: “Refugees are welcome, fascists are not!”

There were other demonstrations that occurred in Graz and Warsaw as well.

In Amsterdam, PEGIDA members were about to protest in the Dutch capital for the first time, but were stopped by riot police. A square near the city hall of Amsterdam was where the rally took place, but it had to be shut down temporarily after the protesters arrived because there was a suspicious package placed at the scene and it had to be examined by explosive experts and police officers. Several people in the city were detained by Dutch police officers who were on horseback.

 

In Calais, protesters against Islam fought with the police because they were banned from protesting there. The Interior Ministry of France attempted to stop the protests by PEGIDA members.

The protesters are very angry because 5,000 refugees in Calais are trying to go to the United Kingdom to claim asylum.

“This is our home – migrants get out,” the protesters yelled, while the migrants gathered at the port station of the town.

About 150 of the protesters were confronted by CRS riot police, while a senior officer told them through a loudspeaker that they weren’t allowed to demonstrate. This led to a battle between the police and demonstrators, which resulted in the arrest of 12 demonstrators. The offenses were for public disorder and criminal damage.

Police had to use tear gas and batons to restore order in the town between the people supporting the migrants and the PEGIDA members opposed to them.

“We have succeeded in keeping the two sides apart, and are trying to disperse the PEGIDA demonstrators using buses,” an officer said at the scene.

PEGIDA is a German organization founded in 2014. They announced they were going to conduct a march this week, but it was considered too much of a threat by the French government.

The State of Emergency in France gives police and politicians the right to ban any gathering made publically that could possibly be a security threat.

Bernard Cazeneuve, who is the Interior Ministry of France, said the ban protects people from “all groups that create tensions, division and violence.”

source: dailymail.co