Supporters of the Pegida movement, including some holding lanterns glowing in the colours of the German flag, gather for another of their weekly protests on January 5, 2015 in Germany
Some 18,000 supporters of Pegida attended a rally in Dresden. (BBC)
The anti-Islamization protests are gaining support in Germany.
But not everyone is endorsing the movement.
Celebrities and political elites signed a petition denouncing the movement.
The BBC reported:
Politicians and celebrities in Germany have joined a media campaign against Pegida, a group protesting against what it sees as the “Islamisation” of Europe.
Former Chancellor Helmut Schmidt and retired footballer Oliver Bierhoff are among 80 figures to back a petition in German newspaper Bild.
It comes after rival rallies took place across the country.
Some 18,000 people attended one anti-immigration rally in Dresden on Monday.
There have been weekly protests by the Patriotic Europeans against the Islamisation of the West (Pegida) since October.
But counter demonstrations have sprung up, with thousands marching in Berlin, Cologne, Dresden and Stuttgart.