PEGIDA Holds First Protest in Germany Since Leader's Hitler Selfie Went Viral

Just days after their leader stepped down when a "Hitler selfie" of him went viral, Germany's "anti-Islamization" group PEGIDA marched through Dresden yet again Sunday.

Thousands of people paraded through the streets with signs demanding their chancellor stop letting "followers of Allah" enter Germany, the LA Times reported. While the crowd was massive — at about 17,500 — it was lower than the record demonstration two weeks ago, which drew about 25,000.

Photo of anti-Pegida demo in Dresden. Police keeping both sides apart, each calling the other 'Nazis': — Jonathan Rugman (@jrug)January 25, 2015

Normally on Monday, an estimated 17,300 turnout at yet another Pegida anti-immigration demonstration in Dresden. — Erik Olsen (@olsentropy)January 25, 2015

The PEGIDA movement — an acronym that stands for Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the West — has held growing weekly marches since October, which began with only 350 people. The founder, Lutz Bachmann, resigned last week after a local newspaper posted a photo of him with a Hitler-style hairdo and mustache.

PEGIDA leader resigns after his Hitler selfie goes viral. Read more here.

Bild unearths photo of — David Crossland (@DavidCrossland3)January 21, 2015

The co-founder had welcomed Bachmann's decision to step down, particularly since PEGIDA has recently made efforts to distance itself from neo-Nazis who have attended its rallies.

The group may officially claim they are just pushing for tighter immigration regulations into Germany, but many citizens, and even elected officials, have criticized the movement as hateful and dangerous. Germany's foreign minister warned hours before the Sunday march that PEGIDA was tarnishing the nation's image abroad.

"At home we underestimate the damage that PEGIDA's racist slogans and placards already have," the minister, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, told local paper Deutsche Welle.

On Sunday, thousands of people held a counter-demonstration to PEGIDA, following dozens of other marches against the controversial movement.

'Hate in Europe: Germany's Anti-Islamic Protests': Watch the VICE News documentary here.

Pegida anti-immigration demonstration beneath the Christian symbols of old Dresden today: — Jonathan Rugman (@jrug)January 25, 2015

PEGIDA demonstrators have argued that "Islamization" is threatening the West, and some have completely opposed allowing refugees into Europe.

"They're all idiots and they're planning to make money selling drugs, and they just hang around," one PEGIDA member previously told VICE News of refugees. "They should go back to their countries."

Follow Meredith Hoffman on Twitter: @merhoffman