{"id":3920,"date":"2015-02-28T23:05:46","date_gmt":"2015-02-28T23:05:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/english.thesunrisetoday.com\/?p=3920"},"modified":"2015-02-28T23:05:46","modified_gmt":"2015-02-28T23:05:46","slug":"first-pegida-anti-islamization-rally-staged-in-britain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.thesunrisetoday.com\/index.php\/first-pegida-anti-islamization-rally-staged-in-britain\/","title":{"rendered":"First PEGIDA \u2018anti-Islamization\u2019 rally staged in Britain"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"First<\/a>The German-based PEGIDA movement, which opposes what it calls the \u201cIslamization\u201d of Europe, was staging its first demonstration on British soil on Saturday.
\nOn Facebook, more than 800 people indicated they would attend the rally in Newcastle, northeast England.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s about integration. We are not anti-Islam. We are not here to split up any communities,\u201d PEGIDA\u2019s spokeswoman in Britain Marion Rogers said, according to the BBC.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve invited Muslims to join us against extremism, extremism of any kind. I don\u2019t think it\u2019s wrong to stand up to terrorism. Is that hate?\u201c
\nThe Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West movement drew up to 25,000 people in German street rallies last month.
\nPEGIDA-inspired protests have also taken place in Austria and Sweden, though the small crowds were dwarfed by counter-demonstrations.
\nA counter-rally is planned for the Newcastle march, with prominent left-wing firebrand lawmaker George Galloway pledging to attend.
\n\u201cIt is absolutely extraordinary that a German organization sets up in the UK \u2014 it\u2019s not as if there is a lack of right-wing nutter organizations here,\u201d he said.\u201cThey have got to be opposed, wherever they are.\u201d
\nThe English Defense League, a homegrown British group that protested against the perceived threat from Islamic extremism, held a number of protests throughout 2013, which often ended in clashes with anti-fascist demonstrators.
\nBut the group has lost momentum since its leader Tommy Robinson quit in October that year, saying he could no longer keep \u201cextremist elements\u201d in the group at bay.
\nIn Newcastle, football fans are also heading to the city as Newcastle United host Aston Villa in an English Premier League match at their 52,000-capacity St James\u2019 Park stadium. The rally goes close to the venue.
\nThe local Northumbria Police force said the demonstration should not disrupt normal activity in the city center.
\n\u201cThe force respects the right to peaceful protest and takes a neutral standpoint, not supporting or endorsing any groups or individuals,\u201d said Newcastle Chief Superintendent Laura Young.<\/p>\n

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