Anti-Muslim rallies in the eastern German city of Dresden had been growing in size week after week for the past three months, despite the disapproval of the rest of the country.  But authorities put a halt to this week's planned march, after investigators confirmed a threat to one of the shadowy organizers.

Police say the threat was “concrete” – And therefore, no demonstrations would be allowed on Monday by the group Pegida or by anti-racist counter protesters.  The newspaper Bild says that the threat targeted Pegida leader Lutz Bachmann.

This breaks the group’s streak of attracting larger and larger crowds every week, not only of hooligans and racist malcontents, but average middle class people as well.  Pegida’s claim of opposing what it says is “Islamization” seems rather ridiculously misplaced in the only city where it is popular – Dresden has a low percentage of Muslim residents.

Meanwhile on the other side of Germany, a demonstration in Essen was typical of the rest of the country’s response to Pegida xenophobia.  About 50 boneheads showed up to oppose immigrants, only to be hopelessly outnumbered by more than 2,000 counter protesters.  For whatever reason, only Dresden has a growing problem.