Anti-Islamist Pegida group holds first march in Austria

[pampango]

Only a few hundred people attended Pegida's first rally in Vienna, observers say.

The anti-Islamisation movement Pegida, which originated in Germany, has held its first march in Austria.

But while rallies in Germany have often attracted more than 20,000 people in recent weeks, only a few hundred took part in Monday's rally in Vienna. They found themselves outnumbered by police - and even more so by about 5,000 people who had gathered for a counter-demonstration.

Austria is the latest European country to see anti-Islamisation protests.

Supporters of Pegida gathered in a square in central Vienna's shouting "We are the people", the BBC's Bethany Bell reports. Some gave Nazi salutes while riot police separated them from rival protesters changing "down with Pegida".

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-31103221

Pegida in Germany has had two leaders resign recently.