Pegida Marchers Commemorate Paris Terror Victims

DRESDEN, GERMANY - JANUARY 12: Demonstrators hold brooms in a symbolic gesture to "sweep" away racism and intolerance as Pegida supporters make their weekly march on January 12, 2015 in Dresden, Germany. Pegida is an acronym for 'Patriotische Europaeer Gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes,' which translates to 'Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamification of the West,' and has quickly gained local mass appeal by demanding a more restrictive policy on Germany's acceptance of foreign refugees and asylum seekers. Critics, including leading German politicians, implored Pegida supporters not to march tonight and not to use the Paris attacks as a means to further their goals, which many view as xenophobic. The first Pegida march took place in Dresden in October and Pegida has since attracted thousands of participants to its weekly gatherings that have also begun spreading to other cities in Germany, though so far with only a few hundred participants. Germany is accepting a record number of refugees this year, especially from war-torn Syria, and the country has also witnessed the rise of Salafist movements in numerous immigrant-heavy German cities. Both phenomena have promoted Pegida's rise and appeal. (Photo by Carsten Koall/Getty Images)