
The founder of the EDL has addressed a 40,000-strong crowd in Dresden tonight, as Germany's far-right celebrates the first anniversary of the anti-refugee group Pegida.

Tommy Robinson, who set up and led the English Defence League, looked out over the crowd of tens of thousands of Germans as police braced themselves for violence.

Despite quitting the far-right group two years ago, after a realisation that his group was 'part of the problem', this is Robinson's second appearance at a Pegida rally this week after appearing at a Pegida anti-Islam rally in Holland last weekend.

The 32-year-old told the assembled crowd: 'Do not let Germany be dragged back to chaos and destruction. All of your progress is now threatened.

'Your current chancellor, Angela Merkel, seems to be handing out the birth right of German citizens like she is handing out candy to children.'

Braced for violence: Supporters of the anti-refugee Pegida movement gather at Theaterplatz square to honour the movement's first anniversary. The movement has rapidly expanded since September, when Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the country's borders to refugees

Celebrity guest: Tommy Robinson of the English Defense League speaks to supporters of the Pegida movement gathered on the first anniversary since the first Pegida march

Peace: EDL founder and former leader Tommy Robinson flashes a peace sign to the crowd of tens of thousands who have gathered in support of the far-right, anti-immigrant movement

Heavy weights: Despite quitting the far-right group two years ago, after a realisation that his group was 'part of the problem', this is Robinson's second appearance at a Pegida rally this week

He continued: 'The current charge held against all of us is that the refugee crisis is similar to World War Two. And like then, we are supposed to respond with great generosity.

'The difference of course, which we are not permitted to speak about, is the two evils: terrorism and ideology.

'We are offered silence, free speech is all but dead in Europe. We live in a post free speech era, the attacks on Charlie Hebdo have proven that to the whole world.

Stay away from those who inject this hate, this poison into our country. Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere

Only in assemblies like these can the truth be spoken about. And those like me who speak out about the dangers facing our countries, we’re confronted with death threats. We face harassment and persecution.'

He added: 'Every country has the right to defend themselves, including Israel. And of course so does every country in Europe, including Germany.

'I encourage you people to refuse the shame game. Refuse to feel guilty. Germany is not obliged to save the refugee crisis.

'This current immigration is an invasion. Our borders are being overrun. There is little or no control. A country that cannot control its borders will soon not be a country.'

He finished: 'We need one banner. Save our culture. Save our country. Save our future. Unite to save a future for our children.'

The rally has continued into the night, as senior German officials warned that the extremist movement is stirring up hatred that could lead to clashes.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has been targeted by supporters of the movement, who accused her of 'treason' after she opened the country's borders to refugees.

The rally comes just two days after a pro-refugee mayoral candidate in Cologne was stabbed in the neck by a man with a neo-Nazi background.

The Pegida movement has expanded rapidly over the summer as the migrant crisis worsened, with the crowds turning up to rallies growing by the week.

The movement, which stands for ‘Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident’, first emerged as an anti-Islam movement in October 2014, organising weekly demonstrations against what it termed the ‘Islamisation’ of the western world.

It had all but vanished after pictures surfaced in January of its co-founder Lutz Bachmann sporting a Hitler moustache.

But it has made a sudden comeback since September, after Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the country’s borders to refugees.

'Treason': Many of the banners on show at the rally were directed at the chancellor Angela Merkel, including one of her in a military uniform with a Euro armband. Furious protesters accused the chancellor of 'treason' and last week carried a mock gallows with her name on it

Gathering: The movement, which stands for ‘Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident’, first emerged as an anti-Islam movement in October 2014, organising weekly demonstrations against what it termed the ‘Islamisation’ of the western world

Human shield: Riot Police prevent left-wing protestors from getting close to supporters of the Pegida movement during the march

Angry protesters have accused her of ‘treason’ and last week carried a mock gallows with Merkel’s name on it.

The protester carrying the gallows is facing a possible charge of public incitement to commit crime, with prosecutors suggesting that a suspect is to be questioned imminently.

Many of the banners on show at the rally today are directed at the chancellor, including one of her in a military uniform with a Euro armband.

Tension is heightened in the city as counter-demonstrators also gathered to protest the Pegida rally.

The chancellor today urged people to ‘stay away from those with hate in their hearts’, according to her spokesman.

Huge crowds: Pegida demonstrators gathered in front of the Semper opera house in Dresden, Germany. The far-right movement has seen a massive surge in popularity following the migrant crisis

Strong following: The Pegida movement has expanded rapidly over the summer as the migrant crisis worsened, with the crowds turning up to rallies growing by the week

Symbolic: A demonstrator waves a German flag, as tens of thousands gathered tonight in the centre of Dresden to protest the rising numbers of migrants and refugees entering the country

Clear signals: Anti-immigrant protesters wave a giant banner of the German flag, at the gathering in Theaterplatz square in the eastern city of Dresden

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Pegida’s organisers were ‘hardcore right-wing extremists’ and implored citizens to ‘stay away from those who inject this hate, this poison into our country’.

De Maiziere said the attack had left him ‘speechless’ and also pointed to a tripling of attacks against asylum seekers from last year that had left more than 40 people injured.

Experts have pointed to a risk that German society is being polarised, with the key motives for participating in the rallies being ‘discontent with German politics’ and ‘fundamental resentments against migrants and asylum-seekers’, according to a study by Dresden’s Technical University.

Tension has also flared into violence inside some crowded migrant shelters.

In Hamburg, an 18-year-old Afghan man was hospitalised with head wounds after a mass brawl involving 40 to 50 people overnight.

Protest the protest: Counter-demonstrators protesting a Pegida demo carry a sign with a crossed-out swastika in the old town in Dresden

Two sides: Police are expecting violence at the protest, which is also being protested by a left-wing rally who are pro-refugee and support Merkel's new policies

Launched: The far-right movement first emerged in October last year, launched by Lutz Bachmann. It has made a sudden comeback since September, after Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the country’s borders to refugees

Mocking: Satirical counter-demonstrators, including one dressed as Adolf Hitler and wearing a cake, also gathered in a parody of Pegida's first anniversary celebrations

Far-right: The movement, which stands for ‘Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident’, had all but vanished after pictures surfaced in January of its co-founder Lutz Bachmann sporting a Hitler moustache

Police arrested two Eritreans and one Iranian man.

Elsewhere in Europe, the migrant influx has boosted support for populist right-wing parties.

A Swiss populist party known for its virulent campaigns against immigration, the EU and Islam won a record number of seats in parliamentary elections on Sunday.

In Germany, Merkel has faced a dip in opinion polls and a rebellion in her own conservative ranks, especially in the southern state of Bavaria, the main gateway for migrants.

Escalation: Pegida has made a sudden comeback since September, after Chancellor Angela Merkel opened the country’s borders

'Hardcore': Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said Pegida’s organisers were ‘hardcore right-wing extremists’ and implored citizens to ‘stay away from those who inject this hate, this poison into our country’

Violence: The rally comes just two days after a pro-refugee mayoral candidate in Cologne was stabbed in the neck by a man with a neo-Nazi background

While the Bavarian CSU party wants to establish ‘transit zones’ along the Austrian border to hold and register asylum seekers, a police union chief has called for a fence to secure the Alpine frontier.

A group of 188 of the 310 lawmakers in Merkel’s conservative block has doubts about her refugee policy, and its chairman Christian von Stetten said considering ‘border fortifications’ must ‘not be taboo’ according to newspaper Bild.

Merkel, hoping for Turkey’s help in slowing the migrant influx, held talks with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Istanbul on Sunday.

The EU wants Turkey to tighten border security and house more refugees in return for billions in financial help, visa liberalisation for Turkish citizens and an acceleration of its stuttering drive for EU membership.

Extreme: Elsewhere in Europe, the migrant influx has boosted support for populist right-wing parties, including in Austria and Switzerland

Up in arms: In Germany, Merkel has faced a dip in opinion polls and a rebellion in her own conservative ranks, especially in the southern state of Bavaria, the main gateway for migrants

'Taboo': A group of 188 of the 310 lawmakers in Merkel’s conservative block has doubts about Merkel's refugee policy, and its chairman Christian von Stetten said considering ‘border fortifications’ must ‘not be taboo’ according to newspaper Bild

Furious: Thousands of Germany’s far-right have descended on Dresden today in support of the anti-refugee group Pegida, which is celebrating its first anniversary

But Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said today his country would not host migrants permanently to appease the EU.

‘We cannot accept an understanding like “give us the money and they stay in Turkey”,’ he said.

‘Turkey is not a concentration camp.’

Lutz Bachmann was inspired to launch the Pegida movement after witnessing a rally held by supporters of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK).