Pegida: A movement of right-wing extremists or simply 'Concerned Citizens'?

Abstract

The following paper will discuss whether Pegida participants can be accused of having extreme right-wing attitudes or, on the contrary, the movement should be acknowledged as a legitimate form of protest by 'concerned citizens'. To answer this question, the paper will refer to data collected at demonstrations and to general population polls. It transpires, despite other claims (also formulated by experts on Pegida), that Pegida demonstrators indeed lean sharply to the extreme right of the political spectrum. This is indicated both by the party's electoral preferences (after all, a vast majority of the protesters would vote for the AfD) and the worldview of Pegida's supporters that indicates their proximity to the extreme right.