German anti-Islam rally shrinks, first since leader resigned

Members of the movement of Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West (PEGIDA) hold flags and banners during a PEGIDA demonstration march in Dresden, January 25, 2015. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

DRESDEN, Germany (Reuters) - The number of anti-Islam protesters who turned out for a rally in the east German city of Dresden shrank from a record two weeks ago when turnout was likely boosted by the Islamist militant attack on French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

The rally was also the first since Lutz Bachmann, the movement's leader, resigned after the discovery of a photo in which he posed as Hitler and reports that he called refugees "scumbags" prompted prosecutors to investigate him for inciting hatred.