Anti-Islam Leader Quits After Posing As Hitler

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The leader of Germany's anti-Islam group PEGIDA has resigned after a picture appeared online of him posing with a Hitler-style moustache and haircut.

Lutz Bachmann apologised to supporters of the Patriotic Europeans Against The Islamisation Of The West (PEGIDA) and announced he would be stepping down.

A photograph of the 41-year-old looking like the Nazi leader went viral on social media on Wednesday.

Media reports also published comments posted on Facebook by Mr Bachmann in which he referred to refugees as "beasts" and "filth".

He later said on Facebook: "I earnestly apologise to all citizens, who felt attacked by my postings. They were ill-considered comments that I wouldn't make in this way today.

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Gallery: Rival Protest Groups Face Off In Leipzig

Riot police separate anti-Islam and anti-racism protesters in Leipzig, eastern Germany

The LEGIDA group, an offshoot of PEGIDA, carried banners against Islam and multiculturalism

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A rival group outnumbered the anti-Islam protesters

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A series of protests have erupted in Germany in the wake of the terror attacks in Paris

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"I am sorry that I have damaged the interests of our movement with them and I am acting accordingly."

PEGIDA spokeswoman Kathrin Oertel said that the picture was "satire, which is every citizen's right", but added "sweeping insults against strangers" had gone too far.

The image was posted in September, weeks before he founded PEGIDA in Dresden, eastern Germany.

The group has staged weekly demonstrations in Dresden since this month's terror attacks in Paris, which saw 17 people killed.

Germany's Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel stressed the government's call for people to stay away from PEGIDA protests. He told Bild newspaper: "Anyone in politics who poses as Hitler is either a total idiot or a Nazi."

Mr Bachmann and Ms Oertel have distanced themselves from neo-Nazis who have joined PEGIDA protests.

It comes after rival demonstrations took place in Leipzig on Wednesday night.

Around 15,000 right-wing protesters, from PEGIDA's Leipzig spin-off LEGIDA, were separated by riot police from more than 20,000 anti-racist demonstrators.

More than 4,000 police officers drafted from across Germany were in the city to prevent clashes between the two groups.

The Dresden to Leipzig train line suffered two arson attacks, police told the AFP news agency, triggering long delays. The inner city was also closed to traffic and public transport.

A PEGIDA rally in Dresden was cancelled on Monday after threats were made towards Mr Bachmann.

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