Neo-Nazis get secret message T-shirts

GERA, Germany, Aug. 12 (UPI) -- A German group opposing right-wing extremism said 250 people at a neo-Nazi rock concert were given T-shirts with secret messages revealed upon washing.

Exit, a group dedicated to helping people disassociate themselves with right-wing extremist groups, said it handed out shirts at the "Rock for Germany" festival in Gera that initially featured the words "hardcore rebels" with a skull and nationalist flags, the British newspaper The Guardian reported Thursday.

However, the group said washing the shirts caused the designs to disappear and be replaced with the message, "If your T-shirt can do it, you can do it too -- we'll help you get away from right-wing extremism."

Bernd Wagner, founder of Exit, said the group used a false name when providing the T-shirts to festival organizers.

"We wanted to raise awareness about our program, especially among the young and less committed," he said. "There were so many points along the way where our plan could have failed, but it all went perfectly."