German anti-Islam rally cancelled after clashes
Güncelleme Tarihi:
German police cancelled an anti-Islamic congress planned for Saturday in Cologne after leftist opponents of the rally clashed with its right-wing backers.
The group Pro-Cologne called the rally to oppose a decision by local authorities in Cologne, Germany's fourth largest city, to allow the construction of a mosque with a high dome and minarets.
It invited like-minded nationalist groups from around Europe to join the "Stop Islam" rally to fight what it called the "Islamization and immigration invasion" of
"The rally has been cancelled," a police spokesman said. Many protesters cheered the announcement. A spokesman for Pro-Cologne said they were surprised by the cancellation and would hold a news conference later on Saturday.
Police said 40,000 people protested against the rally. It had been expected to attract 1,500 people but only dozens made it.
Most of the protesters were peaceful, although roads and rail lines leading to the centre of
But a Friday evening gathering of Pro-Cologne participants on a
Three thousand police were on duty to keep the two sides apart. One police officer was injured.
Left-wing demonstrators blocked a rail line which a group of 150 right-wing activists were using to travel into the city centre from the airport, police said.
Some of the protesters carried placards reading "Nazis out of
"We're here to show racism the red card," said
The congress has also sparked anger in Islamic countries. Earlier this month,
Construction of mosques has met opposition in some European countries. Some critics equate them with "Islamization" while others worry they could be used to recruit militants.
About 3.2 million Muslims live in