Leader Peter O'Loughlin | Affiliations Fortress Europe | |
Formation 6 February 2016 (6 February 2016) Ideology Right-wing populism
Anti-Islam
Anti-immigration
Euroscepticism Website www.facebook.com/PegidaIrelandofficial | ||
Pegida Ireland is the Irish branch of the German-based movement Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (Patriotische Europäer gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes; Pegida), a far-right, anti-Islamic political movement.
Launch
It had planned to have its inaugural rally on 6 February 2016, during which Identity Ireland's Peter O’Loughlin, who is also leader of Pegida Ireland, was to speak. Whilst on his way to the rally on a Luas tram, he and members of the movement were attacked by a group of men wearing black masks. While Minister for Health Leo Varadkar condemned the attack, he also expressed concern at the establishment of Pegida in Ireland.
A demonstration was organised in O'Connell St. against the proposed Pegida rally. Hundreds participated in the counter-demonstration, which included support from the Anti-Racism Network, Dublin Calais Refugee Solidarity, Irish Refugee Council, European Network Against Racism, various Muslim organisations, the Africa Centre, Dublin Housing Network, Republican Sinn Féin, the Anti-Austerity Alliance, People Before Profit, Sinn Féin, the Workers' Party and the Workers Solidarity Movement. The planned rally never took place. A group of Pegida supporters was attacked and chased into a store by a group who broke away from the main demo. Green Party councillor Ciarán Cuffe condemned the "ugly scenes" of violence against counter-demonstrators by Gardaí.
Ireland became the 15th country with an established Pegida presence.