German police said tens of thousands of Cologne residents took to the streets Saturday to protest an "anti-Islamization" conference of European far-right leaders.
Carrying banners saying: "We are Cologne -- Get rid of the Nazis!" protesters gathered outside the city's cathedral to demonstrate against the congress organized by the local far-right group Pro-Koeln (For Cologne).
Pro-Koeln began two days of seminars Friday during which speakers denounced an influx of Muslims to Germany and the construction of one of Europe's largest mosques in the city.
Earlier Saturday, police banned a rally organized by far-right adherents in Cologne just as it was about to begin, following clashes with thousands of opponents.
|