The Central Mosque in Ghadames, Libya

Far-right groups from across Europe have descended upon Denmark in order to hold a rally and set up an anti-Islamic alliance across the continent. Around 300 people took part in the demonstration being held in Aahus, which is Denmark’s second largest city. The group spearheading this effort is the English Defense League, or EDL. They say that they want to combat the supposed Islamification of Europe and halt Muslim migration into the continent.

The EDL is hoping that the rally would spark anti-Muslim feelings across Europe.

The demonstration drew participants from Britain, Germany, Poland and Sweden as well as a number of other nations, and began with a moment of silence for the seven victims of Mohamed Merah in Toulouse, France.

Some 2,500 people counter-demonstrated under the banner “Aarhus For Diversity”. Still, the Global Post notes that “Matthew Goodwin, an expert on far-right groups in Britain, told the BBC that Saturday’s rally would be strategically significant even if turnout was low: ‘What we are seeing here for the first time in British political history is an anti-Muslim far-right organization taking the lead in trying to mobilize pan-European opposition to Islam,’ he said.”