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Arnold Schwarzenegger has compared the Capitol rioters supporting Donald Trump to the Nazis in a candid video that recalls his experience growing up after World War II.
The movie star turned politician used his Twitter account to launch an emotional article on camera condemning The mafia that broke into the building in Washington DC earlier this week.
In it, Schwarzenegger said the uproar was America’s “Night of Broken Glass”, referring to Kristallnacht of 1938 when shards of broken glass littered the streets of Nazi Germany after the windows of shops, buildings and Jewish-owned synagogues were destroyed by paramilitary troops. and civilians alike.
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Officer crushed at the gate as mob storms the Capitol
And he went further, describing the people who committed those acts as the “Nazi equivalent of the Proud Boys” – the far-right, neo-fascist, men-only American group of today, which Trump has not publicly condemned and even mentioned during a presidential debate in September.
Sitting in front of the American flag and the flag of California, the state of which he was governor from 2003 to 2011, and speaking to rapturous music, he said: “Wednesday was the day of the broken glass, right here in the United States. .
“The broken glass was in the windows of the United States Capitol, but the mob not only smashed glass, it also shattered ideas that we take for granted.
“Not only did they break down the doors of the building that houses American democracy, but they trampled on the very principles on which our country was founded.”
Schwarzenegger was born in Austria in 1947, two years after the end of the war, and spoke of how “broken men” struggled to cope with the “guilt of their participation in the most evil regime in history.”
He said the Nazi regime in Germany “all started with lies, lies, lies and bigotry,” adding that he had seen first-hand how “things can get out of hand.”
The video had been viewed nearly seven million times within hours of being uploaded.
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Inside the shattered Capitol building
At one point, Schwarzenegger even holds up the sword from his famous action movie Conan The Barbarian and says, “This is Conan’s sword!
“And here’s the thing about swords: the more you tempt them, the stronger it becomes.
“Our democracy is like the steel of a sword. It has been tempered by wars, injustices and insurrections. I think that no matter how moved we are by the events of the last days, we will come out stronger because now we understand what can be lost.”
Arnie wields his old Conan sword during the video. Photo: Twitter
Arnie as Conan in the 1982 movie. Image: Rex / Shutterstock
Five people died as a result of the riot on wednesday, including a Capitol Hill police officer.
Schwarzenegger, who condemned Trump as a “failed leader,” said: “We have to hold the people who brought us to this unforgivable point accountable.”
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‘Luckily’ Trump will not be at the inauguration
He then called for unity, saying: “We have to look beyond our parties and disagreements, and put democracy first.”
“We need to heal, together, from the drama of what just happened.
“We need to heal, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans.”
And while a Republican, he also called on Americans to support Democrat Joe Biden on his way to take office as the 46th president of the United States.
“Joe Biden, we stand by your side. We wish you great success as president,” he said.
“We are with you today, tomorrow and always in defense of our democracy and those who threaten it.”
Trump has said he will not attend the president-elect’s inauguration on January 20, breaking with a long tradition. but vice president Mike Pence will.
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