Key Facts
Key Information
About
Pegida UK was the British branch of the German anti-Islam movement Pegida (Patriotische Europäer gegen die Islamisierung des Abendlandes, or 'Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West'). Established in 2016 by Tommy Robinson, the former leader of the English Defence League (EDL), the group focused on organizing protests against Islam, multiculturalism, and perceived threats to British culture from immigration and Islamization, positioning itself as a defender of Western values. It aimed to replicate the street protest model of its German counterpart. The organization was explicitly labeled as Islamophobic by critics and media outlets, drawing accusations of promoting hate speech and far-right ideologies. Pegida UK held limited events, including a poorly attended launch rally in Birmingham in February 2016, and struggled with low membership and public support amid counter-protests and widespread condemnation. Its activities were short-lived, with the group becoming inactive by the late 2010s. Pegida UK exemplified the transnational spread of anti-Islam populism in the mid-2010s, with ties to broader networks of far-right activism in Europe, and was condemned by organizations such as Hope Not Hate for spreading misinformation about Muslims and contributing to intolerance.