Supporters of the PEGIDA movement, -Patriotische Europaeer gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes,- which translates to -Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamification of the Occident- at a rally in Dresden, Germany. (Agence France-Presse)
After weeks of enthusiasm about the influx of refugees, tensions have rapidly escalated in Germany: Anti-immigration and anti-Islam protesters in the eastern city of Dresden set up symbolic gallows on Monday evening that they said was reserved for Chancellor Angela Merkel and Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel. Police said they had launched an investigation after photos of the scene caused national outrage on social media sites.
The incident was part of a so-called Pegida protest rally that attracted as many as 9,000 demonstrators and has taken place every Monday for about one year now.
Although it is unclear whether the gallows was set up with the knowledge of Pegida's leadership, speech excerpts quoted by German media outlets on Monday indicated a radicalization of the movement. Lutz Bachmann, the founder of the movement who briefly resigned as its head earlier this year after after photos showed him posing as Hitler, was quoted on Monday as calling the chancellor's government a "Berlin dictatorship."
Some of the posters directly threatened German politicians, calling them traitors, while others voiced opposition to Muslim immigrants.
In the past, at least one former Pegida leader has voiced regret over her involvement in the movement. As The Washington Post reported back then, Kathrin Oertel apologized to Muslims in a Facebook video message in April: "I feel partially responsible for a campaign of hatred we caused. I want to apologize and the only thing I can do is to help resolve those tensions."
"Those still belonging to the Pegida movement need to understand that they are advocating for the wrong cause," she said back then. It seems as if few Pegida members listened to her words.