Video surfaces of Pokémon champion with swastika shaved into his head 

A video has recently surfaced online of the champion of the 2023 Pokémon Trading Card Game Hartford Regionals with a swastika shaved into the back of his head. 

Rowan Stavenow has since posted the following statement on his Twitter account: “To all the members of the Pokémon community who have been hurt by the video of me that has been circulating, I am sorry. I understand why you are hurt. The swastika is not a symbol to be thrown around lightly. This symbol represents the death of millions of Jewish people, a horrible genocide, and hate that persists to this day.”

The statement proceeds to explain that Mr Stavenow had given his friends consent to shave anything onto the back of his head on the condition it would be completely shaved after, and that he was unaware of which symbol they had chosen.

It has been reported that members of the Pokémon community have spoken out against the video online. 

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