Anti-Islamic group ‘Pegida’ set to launch Irish branch this weekend

A controversial weekend lies in store for Dublin city center, as anti-Islamic group Pegida make their official launch in Ireland.  Pegida – who were founded in Germany in 2014 but have since inspired offshoots in various European countries – are a right-wing organisation with an explicit anti-Islam agenda. The movement’s objective is to prevent the Islamisation of the Western world, and they hope to achieve this by portraying Islam as a violent ideology, while also criticising a perceived failure by Muslim’s to integrate into Western countries.

The group will launch at a protest this Saturday, following on from a press conference last weekend where the group stated its intentions.  This press conference was conducted by Tommy Robinson, the former leader of the English defence league who has been involved in anti-Islamic groups in the UK for a number of years.  Alongside Tommy Robinson was Peter O’Loughlin, the founder of ‘Identity Ireland’, a new right-wing political party in Ireland which opposes mass immigration and multiculturalism.  Speaking of Pegida, O’Loughlin said “it is giving the people of Europe a chance to speak out and have a voice against the absolutely disastrous policies of the EU and of the German government and the various puppet governments around Europe.”

Pegida’s official first protest in Ireland will take place this Saturday afternoon, at the GPO in Dublin city center.  Meanwhile, anti-racist campaigners have been busy organising a counter-protest.  The Anti-racism network Ireland will also be holding a rally this Saturday in the same location, to oppose the launch of Pegida in Ireland.  Ronit Lentin, a member of Anti-racism network Ireland, said that Pegida has a history of being “racist and Islamaphobic” and was worried about the arrival of such “an extreme and right wing organisation ” in Ireland.

For more information on the Pegida protest, click on the following link:  https://www.facebook.com/events/1545846279042359/

For more info on the counter-protest organised by Anti-Racism Network Ireland, click on the following link: https://www.facebook.com/events/182047028817502/