PEGIDA take to the streets in anti-Islam protests across the globe

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Protesters have clashed with immigration supporters and police forces during planned far-right demonstrations
Organised by anti-Islam group PEGIDA, cities across Europe and Australia saw thousands take to the streets
The confrontational rallies were held in cities that included Prague, Amsterdam, Dresden, Calais and Canberra
Former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson joined 200 supporters at a rally in Birmingham

By Corey Charlton and Anthony Joseph for MailOnline

Published: 12:06 EST, 6 February 2016 | Updated: 21:01 EST, 6 February 2016

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Violent scuffles broke out across Europe today as thousands of people taking part in far-right anti-Islam protests clashed with pro-immigration groups and riot control police.

Police in Dresden, Germany, saw about 2,000 protesters at a rally organised by the group Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West, making it the biggest of a coordinated series of demonstrations across European cities.

Known by its German acronym PEGIDA, the group emerged in Dresden two years ago and has become a magnet for far-right and anti-immigrant sentiment.

Scroll down for video

Supporters of the Pegida movement (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident) demonstrate in Calais, northern France

In Birmingham, placards saying 'Trump is right', 'We will not stay silent as women are raped' and 'Nazism = Islamism' were held up

A young Australian protestor poses with a self-made t-shirt displaying the slogan 'Australians say no to the islamisation of our nation!' in Canberra, Australia

Members of the Garda Public Order Unit and riot police confront protestors at an anti-racism demonstration against the launch of an Irish branch of PEGIDA in Dublin

Policemen arrest General of Army Corps, Christian Piquemal, during a demonstration of the PEGIDA movement in Calais, northern France

French Army Corps General Christian Piquemal gestures as he addresses supporters of the PEGIDA movement in Calais, northern France

Activists against migrants shout slogans as retired French General Christian Piquemal makes an address during a protest organised by the anti-Islam group PEGIDA, in Calais, northern France, where many migrants have set up camp to seek refuge in Western Europe

Around 20 anti-migrant protesters were arrested, including former French Army General Christian Piquemal (holding the megaphone), in Calais, France, after scuffles with police at a banned rally in support of a Europe-wide initiative by the Islamophobic PEGIDA movement

Plainclothes police officers wrestle a man to the ground during the PEGIDA demonstration held in Amsterdam, Holland, today

The man was detained during at the far-right demonstration, held in the city centre, protesting what they believe is the 'Islamisation of the West'

A man sticks his tongue out at the camera as he is led away from the demonstration by plainclothes police officers

An estimated 2,000 people marched through Dresden, Germany, today (pictured) - the city where PEGIDA was originally formed

A far-right banner showing German Chancellor Angela Merkel's face is captioned with the words: 'We are coming, mommy'

The PEGIDA group organised co-ordinated protests across many European cities today, including at its home in Dresden (pictured)

Nationalist groups in Europe have been galvanized by the unprecedented influx of refugees from Africa, Asia and the Middle East last year

PEGIDA is an acronym given to the group which stands for Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the Occident

The protesters carried banners showing the face of Chancellor Angela Merkel depicted as, among other things, a pig and a nun

The crowds in Dresden gathered outside the city's main hall to protest against what it believes is an overwhelming influx of refugees

Thousands of people gathered in front of Prague Castle, in the Czech capital, for a demonstration called 'Together against islamisation' organized by Czech right-wing populist party Usvit (Dawn - National Coalition)

Nationalist groups in Europe have been galvanized by the unprecedented influx of refugees from Africa, Asia and the Middle East last year. Today similar, smaller PEGIDA-style protests were planned in France, Britain, Poland, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands.

In the Czech capital of Prague, thousands rallied against the influx of refugees and others in support of them and opposing protesters clashed and had to be separated by police.

Martin Konvicka, a leader of the anti-Muslim movement, is calling the influx of refugees an 'invasion' that poses a 'huge threat for us all'. Two other anti-migrant groups are rallying in Prague and another in the second-largest Czech city of Brno.

In Dublin, scuffles broke out between people who had gathered to protest against the launch of PEGIDA in Ireland, and those who attended the launch of the group.

In Birmingham, meanwhile, police said about about 200 PEGIDA supporters and 60 counter demonstrators turned out. Other demonstrations took place in Warsaw and Graz in southern Austria.

In Amsterdam, riot police have clashed with PEGIDA demonstrators as they tried to hold their first protest in the Dutch capital.

A square near Amsterdam city hall that had been earmarked for the rally had to be shut down shortly before the gathering as police and explosives experts examined what police called a 'suspect package'.

Only about 200 PEGIDA supporters were present, where they were heckled by left-wing demonstrators who shouted: 'Refugees are welcome, fascists are not!'

Dutch riot police detained several people as officers on horseback intervened to separate the two groups of demonstrators.

Other demonstrations took place in Warsaw, Bratislava and in Graz in southern Austria.

Protesters light flares, hold up Poland scarves and banners and shout slogans during an anti-immigrant rally in front of the Royal Castle

Protesters hold flares and shout slogans during an anti-immigrant rally in front of the Royal Castle in Warsaw, Poland

Counter-demonstrators shout slogans as they are separated by police from a Dutch branch of the Islamophobic PEGIDA movement shout slogans during their rally in central Amsterdam

Protesters wearing face masks and holding signs of infamous ISIS executioner Jihadi John walk through Birmingham today

A few hundred people attended the rally in Birmingham today as they walked from the city's railway station to a remote business park

Police officers in Calais, northern France, detain a man taking party in the demonstrations near the town's railway station

The Calais march brought some about 20 arrests, local authorities said, and police responded with tear gas after scuffles broke out

Policemen and gendarmes arrest a man wearing a ski mask during the demonstration held in Calais, France, today

A group of men demonstrate in Warsaw today as rallies supporting PEGIDA were held across cities throughout Europe

A PEGIDA supporter in Warsaw arrives at the rally wearing a face mask featuring a skull design

Supporters of the PEGIDA movement demonstrate in front of Royal Castle in Warsaw with a banner reading 'will not give back Poland'

PEGIDA demonstrators gather on the riverbank in Dresden, where pro-immigration supporters lined the opposite side of the bank

A huge police presence was also at the scene of the protest, where riot police had to separate pro and anti-Islam demonstrators

Mounted policeman in Dresden stand guard next to an armoured police vehicle as they watch over the protests in the German city

PEGIDA emerged in Dresden two years ago and has become a magnet for far-right and anti-immigrant sentiment

Riot police were also needed in Amsterdam today in order to separate the groups. The banner pictured reads: 'Islamists not welcome'

Mounted Dutch riot police disperse demonstrators during the PEGIDA rally in the country's capital Amsterdam

Thousands also turned out to oppose the PEGIDA supporters. Pictured is an anti-Islamist movement in central Amsterdam

Members of the Dutch PEGIDA movement march through the city centre during today's demonstration

French police officers use tear gas against the activists in Calais, where a protest went ahead despite being forbidden by authorities

Calais saw 20 arrests today, where anti-Islam demonstrators opposing the influx of migrants in Europe gathered for a protest

A woman holds a placard during a counter-demonstration to a PEGIDA rally in Dublin, Ireland, this afternoon

Protesters wave flags during an anti-Islam rally in front of the Prague Castle in Prague, Czech Republic

Kukiz'15 Movement member Robert Winnicki (centre) and co-founder of German anti-immigration movement Pegida Tatjana Festerling (right), during a demonstration of anti-immigrant activists and nationalists

Policemen arrest supporters of the PEGIDA movement during a demonstration in Calais, northern France, where many migrants have fled to

In nearby Calais, fighting broke out as more protesters clashed with the police during a banned demonstration. France's Interior Ministry had tried to stop the march by members of PEGIDA.

They are particularly angry about the build up of some 5,000 refugees sleeping rough in Calais as they try to get to the UK, where they will claim asylum or disappear into the black economy.

'This is our home - migrants get out,' they chanted today as they gathered by the port town's station.

A large force of CRS riot police confronted around 150 of them, as a senior officer announced on a loudspeaker that all were banned from demonstrating.

FORMER ENGLISH DEFENCE LEAGUE LEADER TOMMY ROBINSON JOINED 200 PEGIDA SUPPORTERS IN BIRMINGHAM

Former English Defence League (EDL) leader Tommy Robinson joined 200 supporters of the controversial PEGIDA organisation today to protest against the 'growing influence Islam has on society'.

The far-right anti-Islamic group conducted a silent march from Birmingham International train station to a remote business park outside the city centre.

EDL founder Tommy Robinson stood at the front of the group holding a banner which read: 'Protect freedom. Reject hate'.

Speaking to reporters before he addressed around 200 supporters from a makeshift stage, he said: 'PEGIDA is exactly what it says, patriotic European citizens opposed to the Islamisation of the England and the rest of the continent.

'We are ordinary people, we are opposed to the Islamisation of not just our country but the rest of Europe.

'We are part of the European Union so it affects us, what decision Angela Merkel makes they affect us here.

'We have got many different races here today, I dont incite any hate, I oppose hate. I would like you to tell me what have I said that is hatred.

'I have never been anti-immigration, my mum was an immigrant to the UK. I have never said I am either.

'I am opposed to Islamisation. I don't care who comes into the country as long as they are not coming in to cause us harm.

'The growing influence Islam has on society is not good for society. The more Islam, the less freedom, that is a reality.

'I don't believe that we should be bringing in last year one-and-a-half million fighting age Muslim men into Germany, 600,000 of them have gone missing, 160,000 have gone missing from Sweden.

'We don't know who they are, we don't know what their motives are in being in Europe. We have already seen 130 people killed by so-called refugees in France.

'We have a big problem. The facts are I didn't rape 800 women, I didn't attack 800 women, Muslims did. I didn't rape 1,400 kids in Rotherham, it's not my fault it happened, I just tell you it happened.

'I didn't make 360 Muslims try and commit acts of terrorism last year, I didn't make 2,000 British Muslims go to fight for ISIS. I didn't do that, they did it... I'm just telling the truth.'

Tommy Robinson (second from front left) leads the right-wing Pegida UK march through an area on the outskirts of Birmingham today

There was a heavy police presence at the silent march and rally, which took place from 2pm till 3pm, as police also managed a crowd of 60 counter protesters from the Unite Against Facism group.

Last night officers confirmed no Pegida members had caused any trouble and said just one counter demonstrator had been arrested for a public order offence.

The 39-year-old man, from East London, was detained by officers at 1pm outside Birmingham International train station and is currently in police custody.

Chief Superintendent Alex Murray, from West Midlands Police, said: 'We've been planning the operation for months, the collective efforts of our officers, Solihull Council, partner agencies, protest organisers and community groups helped ensure the event passed off without any serious disorder.

'We had a large police presence on the ground, including protest liaison officers, in order to deal effectively with any issues.

'But we were confident the rally would be peaceful, our negotiations with Pegida representatives were positive and they stressed their intentions to express their views lawfully.

'Disruption was kept to a minimum - Bickenhill Lane was closed temporarily to allow for protestors to walk from Birmingham International to the demo point but hopefully it didn't hugely inconvenience motorists or local businesses.'

West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner David Jamieson added: 'I would like to thank the police for their thorough, sensible planning which has helped ensure the event remained peaceful.

'Protests like this have a knock-on effect on the force's ability to deliver non-emergency policing.

'I sincerely hope this is the last protest of its sort that we see here for a good long while.

'The West Midlands is a place where people live side by side happily, it is sad when people from outside the region try to undermine that.'

A further protest against the group under the Birmingham Unites banner was also held in Victoria Square in Birmingham city centre today.

This led to fighting, and by 2pm at least 12 arrests had been made, mainly for public order offences and criminal damage.

Baton charges and tear gas were used by the police to restore order and counter demonstrators shouted insults at the PEGIDA members.

'We have succeeded in keeping the two sides apart, and are trying to disperse the PEGIDA demonstrators using buses,' said an officer at the scene.

PEGIDA, which was founded in Germany in 2014, had announced today's march during the week, but the French government decided it was too big a threat to public order to go ahead.

The State of Emergency in France, triggered by last year's terrorist attacks on Paris, allows politicians and police to ban any public gatherings that they consider to be a security threat.

Bernard Cazeneuve, France's Interior Ministry, said the ban was also there to protect people from 'all groups that create tensions, division and violence.'

The PEGIDA rallies even reached as far as Australia, where a small but vocal group of supporters marched through Canberra

Sherman Burgess, known as the Great Aussie Patriot, and Blair Cottrell, leader of the United Patriots Front, were among the speakers

Speakers at the anti-Islam rally addressed the crowds in front of the country's Parliament building in the capital Canberra

A woman covering herself in Australian flags and wearing the country's colours on her face is pictured at the rally

Left, a woman tries to rally women to vote against Islamic immigration. Right, Blair Cottrell, leader of the United Patriots Front, leads the protesters

The small but vocal group of demonstrators marched through the nation's capital to protest before its Parliament building

Daniel Evans from Reclaim Australia is pictured standing before the demonstrators in the country's capital city, Canberra

Shermon Burgess, the so called Great Aussie Patriot, leads the demonstrators from the Hyatt Hotel to Parliament where they were met by a small counter protest