Pegida Supporters March In Duesseldorf

DUESSELDORF, GERMANY - DECEMBER 08: A Supporters of the Pegida movement holds up German flag duringa march in protest on December 8, 2014 in Duesseldorf, Germany. Pegida is an acronym for 'Patriotische Europaeer Gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes,' which translates to 'Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamification of the Occident,' and has quickly gained a spreading mass appeal by demanding a more restrictive policy on Germany's acceptance of foreign refugees and asylum seekers. While Pegida disavows xenophobia in its public statements, critics charge that the movement is becoming a conduit for right-wing activists. The first Pegida march took place in Dresden in October and has since attracted thousands of participants to its weekly gatherings that have also begun spreading to other cities in Germany. Germany is accepting a record number of refugees this year, especially from war-torn Syria, and the country has also witnessed the rise of Salafist movements in numerous immigrant-heavy German cities. Both phenomena have promoted Pegida's rise and appeal. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)