By Mustela nivalis

It started in October. About 500 people congregated somewhere in Dresden to demonstrate against “religious wars on German soil”. This was after violent clashes between Kurds and Sunnis in some German cities, following the outbreak of the ISIL war in the Levant. East Germans like to remember the regular “Monday demonstrations” which sped up the downfall of the Communist regime 25 years ago. So, in this tradition, the new demonstrators resolved to reconvene the following Monday. Every Monday since, their numbers have swelled. Last week, there were 10,000. This week, the number had risen to 15,000. Now, they call themselves “PEGIDA”, which stands for “patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the occident”. Their largest banner states: “Peacefully & united against religious wars on German soil!” There have been counter-demonstrations, but in the same, most recent seven day period their numbers have fallen from about 9,000 to 6,000.

The reactions of the establishment so far have been predictable: PEGIDA have been called everything from stupid to nazi. Hilariously, someone even said “pinstripe nazis” (a smear repeated by the usually more cogitative Simon Jenkins in the Guardian this week), even though hardly anyone there, including the leaders, looks like they’ve worn a pinstripe suit, ever. Although this is the usual moronic reaction from the establishment, it usually sorts it out for them. In the past, if any anti-establishment group arose, they got called this stuff. In Germany much more so, and faster, than anywhere else. Then some of the thus smeared leaders hurry to the media and explain why they are not stupid or nazis. Then the media twists and turns their words until the protestors and their efforts are completely compromised. Then life and politics return to “normal”.

However, this time, the “Wutbürger” (angry citizens) have changed their tactic, in a way that has so far completely outfoxed the ruling class. They are simply not talking to the media. PEGIDA representatives were invited last week to three different political TV talk shows, but declined every time. They are boycotting the media, saying: You’ll only lie about us. This is new, and journalists are freaked out. And it’s not only the leaders who are ignoring the press. Most of the rank and file are following their example. Occasionally, frustratingly rarely for the hacks, they can get someone to speak. Usually however, when a journalist identifies himself and his organisation at a demonstration, and starts asking questions, people around just start chanting “Lügenpresse” (“lying press”) until he gives up. The mainstream media are out of the loop. And that freaks them out. Nothing scares a propagandist more than perceived irrelevance and failure in the face of a menacing crowd.

And irrelevant and failing they are. PEGIDA is at the moment growing in leaps and bounds. Demonstrations are now sprouting in many other cities as well, although none so far come close to Dresden numbers. Word is spread through the internet, mainly facebook. By now, demands go far beyond preventing “religious wars on German soil”, and bear some resemblance to those of UKIP. PEGIDA state they are for controlled immigration and for a harsher punishment/faster deportation of criminal immigrants, for increased funding of the police forces, for referenda such as in Switzerland, against allowing parallel societies to emerge (in particular those with Sharia law), against supplying weapons to foreign organisations such as the PKK, and against gender mainstreaming. Placards held up at rallies include demands such as stopping Nato from “aggressing” against Russia and spending more money on “our” children instead of on asylum seekers. There is also, inevitably, the famous slogan “Wir sind das Volk” (“we are the people”) of a generation ago.

Mainstream conditioning is still working quite well in Germany, evidenced by the fact that the new protest group call themselves patriotic “Europeans” and not Germans. However, its grip on people’s minds is obviously loosening. It’s difficult at the moment to predict where all of this is leading. Support for PEGIDA is stronger in eastern Germany than in the old west. This may be because, due to their history, they have a keener sense for the Orwellian stuff going on all over the “occident”. Also, eastern Germany, like the rest of the old Warsaw Pact, was not subjected to the 60s cultural Marxism revolution – although interested parties are trying to make up for that, see the activities by the “Femen” harridans – so it is interesting that “gender mainstreaming” is in PEGIDA’s crosshairs along with all the stuff about immigration and strengthening of the police. The lack of cooperation with the media from such a spontaneous and public organisation is a significant and surprising new development. It could very well be part of what the website thedailybell.com has dubbed the “internet reformation”.