German police have banned an extreme right-wing "anti-Islamification" rally in Cologne, as it was about to begin.
The move to stop the demonstration came after clashes with thousands of leftists, who flooded into the city to counter-protest the event.
A police spokesman said public safety was at stake after scuffles broke out.
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The police spokesman said officers had been attacked by demonstrators who threw stones and tried to steal their weapons.
Police responded with batons.
'Immigrant invasion'
Some 3,000 police had been drafted in and part of the old city sealed off as authorities appealed for peaceful protests against a two-day congress called by the far-right group Pro-Koeln (Pro-Cologne).
Pro-Koeln had hoped 1,500 people would attend Saturday's rally in the city centre to oppose the mosque and an "immigrant invasion" of Europe.
The rally was due to start at midday and opposition to the planned domed mosque, with two 55m (177ft) minarets in the city's heavily immigrant Ehrenfeld district, was to be the centrepiece of the weekend.
Those attending the congress, including far-right leaders from Belgium, Austria and Italy, were to protest against "Islamification," and voice support for Europe's "shared, 1,000-year history" and "Western values and Christian traditions".
Earlier, the leftist demonstrators blocked two leaders of the Pro-Koeln movement from entering the conference venue, pursuing them as they sought refuge on a boat.
In a speech earlier on Saturday, Cologne Mayor Fritz Schramma, whose city council gave the green light for the construction of the mosque, labelled the Pro-Koeln group "arsonists and racists" hiding under the cloak of a "citizens' movement".
Germany is home to three million Muslims, who make up four per cent of the population.
(BBC)
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