Freedom of Opinion is Dead in Germany

There is a remarkably fair and balanced article about the German PEGIDA movement in today's Telegraph.

PEGIDA stands for Patriotische Europäer Gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes, Patriot Europeans against the Islamisation of the Occident. It is unanimously smeared as "right wing", "right wing populist", "right wing extremist" or "Nazi" in the German mainstream media. I wrote the following message to the author Justin Huggler at his website: 

Dear Mr. Huggler,
Thank you very much for the fair report of the German PEGIDA-movement in "The Telegraph".

One wouldn't find anything like that in the German media where any criticism of Islam and Muslim immigration and the plight of ordinary citizens will be ostracized and smeared as "right wing". Your article is proof of the fact that in the UK quality journalist standards still apply.

Please allow me to correct one detail: Hooligans (with a capital "H") are not "self-proclaimed" but a considerable part of German soccer-fan culture. If they are violent, they are only violent among themselves. Away from the soccer stadiums they are ordinary citizens with families about whom they care, just like everybody else. There are professionals and academicians among them.

The demonstrations against Muslim immigration in Cologne did not turn more violent as any mass demonstration tends to be. What little violence there was was due to the countermarch of the extreme left and to police provocation. The 1000 police officers wouldn't have been able to control 6000 Hooligans had they been really set on violence. The few far-right demonstrators present had been free-riders. I will gladly provide you with proof of all those facts should you so desire.

Again, thank you very much for your article!

Sincerely yours,
Nora Brinker

The Tsunami of lies about the Cologne rally left me shit-scared. And no, not because of the Hooligans. Freedom of opinion is dead in Germany, that's why.