Neo-Nazis in Germany got a morning-after surprise when they discovered that the souvenir t-shirts they were given at a nationalist right-wing concert actually contained a secret, anti-extremism message.
Attendees at a "Rock for Germany" concert probably thought the t-shirts being handed out by festival organizers, emblazoned with a skull, flags and a "hardcore rebel" logo, were seriously hard-ass rockin'. But things changed rather dramatically when the shirts were washed [and yes, it would seem that even skinheads occasionally do laundry]: the gnarly artwork and "National und Frei" disappeared, replaced with a message offering assistance to anyone who wanted to escape the influence of the far right.
"If your t-shirt can do it, you can do it too - we'll help you get away from far-right extremism," the post-washing shirts said.
250 of the shirts were donated anonymously to the festival by Exit Deutschland, a group dedicated to assisting people seeking to break free of the militant neo-Nazi lifestyle. "Rock for Germany" organizers naturally played down the significance of the stunt; Gordon Richter, who's also a member of the far-right NPD party, said, "It's kind of pathetic that anyone spent money for something like that."
But Exit Deutschland founder Bernd Wagner seemed satisfied that the t-shirts had accomplished their purpose of spreading an anti-extremism message to a hostile audience, not to mention the international attention they've attracted to his cause. "We wanted to raise awareness about our program, especially among the young and less committed," he said.
Well played, sir. Well played indeed.
