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ANTI-RACISM campaigners are aghast at a plan to give Scots free tattoos... of the swastika.

Five parlours here have signed up to a scheme designed to “reclaim” the swastika from the Nazis.

It was a symbol of peace and prosperity in faiths including Hinduism and Buddhism before Hitler and his thugs hijacked it.

But a spokeswoman for Show Racism The Red Card in Scotland said: “I’m shocked – really shocked – by this. I’m appalled.

“I don’t think anyone today would see the swastika as a peace symbol, and I would advise against any legitimate tattooing business doing this.

“Much as the swastika may have started as meaning one thing, fascism is what it represents now.”

The five Scots parlours have agreed to take part in a worldwide “reclaim the swastika” event next Wednesday

It’s a tribute to a Canadian artist called ManWoman, who campaigned for decades to take back the swastika before his death last year. ManWoman, who was born Patrick Charles Kemball, covered his own body in swastika tattoos.

One of the Scots tattoo artists taking part in the scheme defended her decision yesterday.

Audrie Cabena, of Dundee’s Yankee tattoo parlour, said: “I met ManWoman once and he was covered in swastikas. I think it is important to recover that symbol and educate people.

“It’s been a peace symbol for thousands of years, but it’s now seen as a symbol of hatred because of a relatively short amount of time.

“I’ll talk to the people who come on Wednesday and make sure they are doing it for the right reasons.

“I’m not saying it’s safe to walk around with a swastika on you. You might get people making comments. But if I receive any backlash over this, I’ll have to deal with it when it happens.

“There are hundreds of artists doing this all over the world and I think it’s an important thing to be involved with.”

The Idle Hands tattoo parlour in Arbroath is also taking part in the event.