Writing’s on the wall
Everyone welcome in this tattoo store
A CAIRNS tattoo and piercing store is doing what it can to promote diversity in the city after one of its competitors sparked a race-related row.
Mark Bryce, owner of Cold Steel Piercing on Lake St, was thrust into a firestorm of controversy this week over a sign stating “no Israelis served here”.
While the sign had been there for years, the store made headlines after an Israeli backpacker claimed she had been refused service.
In response, Mr Bryce told media he had been making a political statement about the Israeli government’s treatment of Palestinian people, and removed the sign.
A second Lake St piercing parlour, Cairns City Tattoo, has now erected its own sign, but with a more welcoming message.
Owner Duane Cash said one of his employees had made the sign, which says “all nations welcome, leave your politics at the door”, soon after the controversy exploded.
“That was just one of the boys, he put it straight up and I said leave it up, it’s a good thing,” Mr Cash said.
“I thought it was great, it’s true, it’s Cairns, we’re a multicultural shop, we have Japanese working here, we have guest artists from all over the world.
“You can’t blame individuals for what their government does.”
While most reactions to the sign have been positive, artists did arrive at the store one morning to find someone had spat on the glass covering the sign.
But Mr Cash said it wasn’t unusual to find minor damage to the store, given its location in the centre of town.
“We’re in a main busy area ... there's usually mess around here in the mornings.
“We encourage everybody in here, that’s the best part about living in Cairns, having all the different nationalities come through.”
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