NewsProtestor at Middlesbrough riots made subject of ridicule after donning balaclava to...

Protestor at Middlesbrough riots made subject of ridicule after donning balaclava to try and hide identity – but not covering his giant tattoo

A PROTESTOR at the riots in Middlesbrough has been made the subject of ridicule after donning a balaclava to try and hide his identity – but not covering his giant tattoo. 

The bloke was spotted at the far-right demonstration in the North Yorkshire town over the weekend with his large arm tattoo on display, despite his efforts to hide his face. 

Bearing a giant crest of Middlesbrough FC on his upper arm, a long scar is also visible on the dopey man’s forearm, only serving as another obvious identifier. 

The protestor has since been made the butt of many jokes online, where other Brits panned him, joking he “may as well have a QR code” on his arm. 

An image of two men at a protest, a crowd and banner visible behind them. The man on the right is bald, wearing a black jacket and giving a thumbs up to the camera. The one on the left has his face almost covered by a black and red balaclava and wears a black Under Armour vest. A large tattoo of armour and a Middlesborough Football Club crest is visible on his upper arm. A long red scar is also visible further down the same arm.
The protestor didn’t entirely think through his choice of outfit

The snap shows the man in question alongside a bald bloke, who – unlike his compatriot – has his full face on show and proudly gives a thumbs up to the camera. 

A crowd of people and a banner being waved are visible in the background. 

The other chap has opted to hide his face behind his black and red balaclava – although he doesn’t appear to have pulled it down properly as his hair pokes through and both eyes are nearly covered.  

However, any hopes of keeping himself anonymous are dashed by the fact he is wearing a black Under Armour vest, revealing a Middlesbrough FC tattoo and inked armour. 

The ink covers his entire upper arm, making it likely anybody looking at him would have their attention drawn there. 

A long, red scar can be seen further down the same arm. 

The picture was shared to social media yesterday by Alan Rusbridger, former editor-in-chief of the Guardian, with the caption: “Loving the guy on the left. 

“Astutely wearing a balaclava to make totally sure that no-one could possibly find any way of identifying him.” 

It has since received over 48,000 likes and more than 2,100 comments from social media users left chuckling at the bloke’s blunder

One said: “Forgot to cover up the tattoos. Will be a few agonising hours to have them removed.” 

Another joked: “Maybe that head covering is there as post-lobotomy protection.” 

A third quipped: “I doubt it’s a balaclava. More likely he tried to put his socks on and missed.” 

Another commented: “He might as well have a QR code on his arm.” 

A fifth said: “Expect his mum has sewn his name into his clothes in case he mislays any of them.” 

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