--- description: Thousands of people took to the streets of several German cities on Monday, protesting against what they see as the Islamization of Europe title: Germans March Against 'Islamization' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0f3e615cd90d66d/69877848428a9e3d30cc6686/germany-anti-islamiza_wong.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Thousands of Germans Protest Against 'Islamization' ## Video: Cologne Cathedral Goes Dark to Counter Anti-Immigration Protesters [Watch (HLS stream): Cologne Cathedral Goes Dark to Counter Anti-Immigration Protesters](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/VDNHHm8o.m3u8) (0:28)  _Published 2015-01-06. Cologne Cathedral turns off its lights in solidarity with counter-protesters against an anti-Mulsim group called Pegida._ by [Helen Regan](/author/helen-regan/) ## Helen Regan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 6, 2015 3:54 AM CUT  A protester holds a poster reading "No Islamisation of Europe" during the demonstration called "Berlin Patriots Against the Islamization of the West" in Berlin on Jan. 5, 2015 A protester holds a poster reading "No Islamisation of Europe" during the demonstration called "Berlin Patriots Against the Islamization of the West" in Berlin on Jan. 5, 2015Markus Schreiber—AP by [Helen Regan](/author/helen-regan/) ## Helen Regan Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 6, 2015 3:54 AM CUT Thousands of people took to the streets of several German cities on Monday night, [protesting](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/06/world/europe/pegida-rally-dresden-germany.html?%5Fr=0 "undefined") against what they see as the Islamization of Europe. A group known as Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West (Pegida) staged an 18,000-strong march in Dresden, and organized other marches in Berlin, Cologne and Stuttgart, the New York _Times_ reports. Senior politicians including German Chancellor Angela Merkel have condemned the group as extremist and xenophobic. In response, tens of thousands of people [staged](http://time.com/3654478/germany-protesters-counter-anti-islam-movement/ "undefined") counterprotests in Berlin, Cologne and Dresden. The lights of Cologne Cathedral, and Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate and TV Tower, were switched off, in a move by local authorities to show solidarity with German Muslims. \[[_NYT_](http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/06/world/europe/pegida-rally-dresden-germany.html?%5Fr=0 "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3655168/germany-islam-islamization-pegida/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3655168/germany-islam-islamization-pegida/"},"headline":"Thousands of Germans Protest Against 'Islamization'","datePublished":"2015-01-06T03:54:28.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T03:18:32.645Z","description":"But counterrallies are also held in Berlin, Cologne and Dresden","url":"https://time.com/3655168/germany-islam-islamization-pegida/","keywords":["Germany","Berlin"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0f3e615cd90d66d/69877848428a9e3d30cc6686/germany-anti-islamiza_wong.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Helen Regan","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/helen-regan/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd0f3e615cd90d66d/69877848428a9e3d30cc6686/germany-anti-islamiza_wong.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Germany Anti Islamization Rally","caption":"Germany Anti Islamization Rally","creditText":"Markus Schreiber—AP","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3655168/germany-islam-islamization-pegida/","name":"Thousands of Germans Protest Against 'Islamization'"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Cologne Cathedral Goes Dark to Counter Anti-Immigration Protesters","description":"Cologne Cathedral turns off its lights in solidarity with counter-protesters against an anti-Mulsim group called Pegida.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/VDNHHm8o/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-01-06T03:18:12.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/VDNHHm8o.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3655168/germany-islam-islamization-pegida/","duration":"PT28S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3655168/germany-islam-islamization-pegida/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```