Thousands come out in support of Muslims as anti-Islam protests erupt in Germany

DRESDEN: As thousands of people participated in anti-Islam rallies in the eastern German city of Dresden this week, other cities like Cologne and Berlin witness counter-demonstrations in support of Muslims.

According to an Al Jazeera report, some 18,000 people gathered in Dresden in support of a new grassroots movement called Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisization of the Occident (PEGIDA) against higher levels of immigration and the Islamization of the West in recent months.