The anti-Islamization group PEGIDA (Patriotische Europäer Gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes, Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West) has obviously given the German media/political establishment a severe case of indigestion. It’s difficult to demonize a movement that brings tens of thousands of ordinary German citizens to the streets every Monday night in peaceful marches and rallies. To declare them all “neo-Nazis” and “racists” would be an insult to a substantial portion of the population.

The following news clip from ZDF illustrates the way the mainstream media are handling PEGIDA. They’ve settled on a judicious mixture of condescension (towards the well-meaning but misguided hoi-polloi who support PEGIDA) and hostility (towards the “xenophobic” ideologues and organizers of the movement). That way they can peddle the party line on “racists” and “right-wing extremists” without condemning all of the good burghers who take to the streets every week.

Many thanks to Oz-Rita for the translation, and to Vlad Tepes for the subtitling:

Transcript: