Yahoo News Anti-Islam Group PEGIDA Launches UK Branch
A new political movement which claims Islam is a "fascist ideology" has launched in the UK.
PEGIDA UK, based on the German "Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamicisation of the West" movement held its official launch at a pub in Bedfordshire with an appeal to "middle England" to resist what it described as the rise of Islam in the UK.
The group is being launched by former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson, who claimed it would be different from its predecessor.
However, campaigners accused the group of stirring up hatred.
Mr Robinson said: "We have an ideological problem in this country with Islam. It's not assimilated in any sort of way.
"Our political leaders and our European leaders are working against the interests of the people with the refugee influx - which is a migrant invasion - and we want to replicate the resistance of PEGIDA in Germany in the UK. It will be very different to how the English Defence League used to do things," Robinson added.
"I'm opposed to Islam as a fascist ideology … We are not an anti-Muslim group. We feel Muslims are victims of Islam."
Despite PEGIDA's attempts to distance itself from accusations of racism, it has already been described as a hate group in Germany, where Chancellor Angela Merkel described the thousands of protestors who rallied in the Germany city of Dresden as having "hatred in their hearts".
The group's launch is likely to be met with a similar response in the UK.
Birmingham City Council, where PEGIDA UK plans to hold its first rally, says it will not support the event.
"Brummies do not subscribe to ideas based on prejudice, intolerance and hate," said council leaders in a statement.
"That is why the planned launch of a new group in Birmingham is rejected by the council."
The launch unveiled Paul Weston as the leader of PEGIDA UK, whose role was described as a deliberate strategy to appeal to middle England.
Weston - who is already a divisive figure, having been arrested in 2014 on suspicion of racial harassment outside Winchester Town Hall in 2014 - said he wanted families to feel comfortable attending PEGIDA rallies.
"If we are allowed to have peaceful, quiet demonstrations, that will appeal to moderate England, people who feel they can bring their children, their grandchildren out," Weston said.
"We would like everything to be removed. We don't want to have confrontations with the far-left."
The anti-fascist group Unite Against Fascism said that PEGIDA UK was simply another manifestation of the far-right.
"PEGIDA UK aim to recreate the hatred of their allies elsewhere in Europe where thousands have massed targeting the Muslim community," said the group in a statement.
"We should oppose it."
