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A Turkish barbershop in Glasgow's West End has responded to Nigel Farage's criticism of the industry with a tongue-in-cheek display featuring the Reform U.K. leader sporting 13 exaggerated hairstyles.
Street artist The Rebel Bear created the campaign for G11 Barbers in Partick after Farage claimed in a video last year that Turkish barber shops were "springing up everywhere" and accused many of being fronts for money laundering and drug running.
"After Nigel Farage’s intentionally divisive comments about Turkish barbershops. The bear was pleased to team up with G11 barbers in Partick to give their marketing a refresh. Cheers to big Nige for coming down for the photos. G11 also does belting haircuts, so go check them out next time you need one," The Rebel Bear said in its post on Instagram.
The display features printed images of Farage styled with an afro, mullet, curtains, man bun, bowl cut, Scouse perm and other comedic variations.
Some images show him with waxed cotton buds inserted in his nose and his ears being torched.
"After Nigel Farage's ignorant and deliberately divisive comments about Turkish barbershops, street artist The Rebel Bear teamed up with G11 Barbers to highlight the stupidity, absurdity and hypocrisy behind both the remarks and the man himself," a statement on the barbershop door read.
"Rather than meeting hate with more hate, we aimed to respond with unity and humor. They also do belting haircuts inside, so pop in next time you need one," the statement added.
In the April video, Farage visited a barbershop and expressed surprise at discovering one that "actually pays tax" and accepts card payments rather than cash.
"You're going to tell me you actually have customers?" he said.
"There are literally thousands of them that have sprung up all over the country: Turkish barbers. It's an absolute racket, the whole thing."
"So there we go; we actually found a barbershop that doesn't have a Turkish sign out the front, has customers, and there's no Lamborghini out the back. Isn't that unusual in modern Britain?" the Reform U.K. leader said.
Ali Ghasr, 26, manager of G11 Barbers, said the campaign had been well-received, according to the Scottish Sun.
"Rebel Bear contacted me and told me about the idea. I thought it was great," Ghasr said.
"I tried to change his mind about Turkish barbers. We've been trying to give him haircuts. Maybe we can change his mind about this. Everyone has been so happy, saying it's so funny. Lots of people have been taking pictures," he added.
The video resurfaced once again after Miatta Fahnbulleh, the devolution, faith and communities minister, criticized Farage's comments as damaging and accused him of deploying "the politics of grievance."
Asked whether she believed the focus on Turkish barbers had racist undertones, Fahnbulleh said yes. "The fundamentals aren't to do with the color of the skin of people running our high streets. It's to do with long-term decline and neglect," she said.
Reform has made struggling high streets a central campaign issue ahead of May's local elections, promising to declare a "national high street emergency" and shut down illicit businesses.
Data from the Local Data Company shows the number of barber shops has more than doubled in the last 10 years to 3.1 per 10,000 people, despite widespread closures in other retail sectors.
The Rebel Bear, a secretive street artist who wears a massive pink bear costume to conceal his identity, has created works across Scotland, London and Calais, France.
The artist previously told the Scottish Sun his "goal is to inspire different patterns of thought and hopefully produce a smile," adding that his work covers "politics, love and emotion and comments on the absurdity of the world."
G11 Barbers is located at 588 Dumbarton Road, Glasgow.
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