About 7,000 protesters of the xenophobic movement PEGIDA gathered on the banks of the Elba in Dresden, Germany, on Saturday after Turkey warned of a sharp spike in refugees trying to flee Syria, as the fighting in the country worsens.
PEGIDA, which stands for Patriotic Europeans against the Islamization of the Occident, is an organization that has held rallies against the alleged Islamization of Germany and the immigration and asylum policy in Germany and Europe since Oct. 20, 2014, in Dresden.
"The law has been broken a million times at our border — as a last resort, as I understand it, using firearms is totally justified in certain cases," said Stefan, a PEGIDA protester.
"The solution is fortress Europe. We have to take control of our borders — who's coming in, and who's not. Therefore, we need to establish controls and set some regulations," said Bright, another PEGIDA protester.
A recent poll suggests more than 80 percent of Germans believe their government has lost control of the refugee crisis, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel's approval ratings are at an all-time low.
Five weeks out from three state elections — the far-right "Alternative for Germany" is polling at 12 percent nationally — making it the country's third most popular political party.
A bad result for the ruling coalition could pile more pressure on a Chancellor who is so far refusing to change course.
Like those in Germany, thousands of anti-migrant protesters have recently taken to the streets in several European cities.
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