The lights at Cologne Cathedral were turned off as a signal against Islamophobia and racism, in response to anti-Islamist protests organized by the far-right Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident (PEGIDA) movement across Germany on Monday, January 5.

PEGIDA rallies and counter-rallies were held in several cities nationwide with thousands of people joining the anti-Islam march in Dresden, where support has been strongest with regular Monday marches through the city. This Monday’s protests are the first after Chancellor Angela Merkel’s New Year’s speech calling on citizens not to support the movement. Credit: Instagram/frollein_jott