Left-wing documentary filmmaker Michael Moore urged federal workers on Thursday to stop attending work in protest over the ongoing government shutdown that has left 800,000 people either furloughed or working without pay.
Appearing on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Thursday, Moore explained that there is an “easy way” to end the ongoing government shutdown, as Congress remains in a deadlock over proposed funding for a wall on the southern border.
“Any sane person—even if they’re for the wall—knows this is crazy that we’re in month two of this. Nobody should be working without pay,” he explained. “Federal workers, don’t go to work without pay. And we, the people, we shouldn’t be supporting anything that requires someone who’s not paid working for us.”
Moore also weighed in on speculation that Trump may declare a national emergency over the immigration crisis at the southern border, comparing it to the style of authoritarian leaders and warning that people would have to “non-violently rise up” against him if he chose to do so.
“Listen, if he declares a national emergency, this man is out of control,” Moore argued. “This is our country. We are a democracy, we’re a free society. If this were any other country, if it were Turkey or the Philippines or Russia, and they had an election and the ruler’s party somehow lost half their legislative branch like he did in November and then that ruler declared a month later, I’m shutting down the government, what would we call that if it were another country doing that?”
“This guy doesn’t want the government to be open, he certainly doesn’t want the Department of Justice to be open” Moore continued. “So if he tries to pull a national emergency, we the people have to declare a national emergency. We have to non-violently rise up. We have to take to the streets. We have to build our own wall—a human wall—around the White House.”
It is not the first time that Moore has proposed acts of civil disobedience in protest of the government shutdown. Last month, the 64-year-old activist filmmaker also called for a “mass uprising” of federal workers that included sit-ins, the storming of buildings, and the harassment of lawmakers.
“What would a nonviolent mass uprising by 800,000 federal workers look like? Sit-ins. Takeover buildings. Shut down all air travel,” he wrote on Twitter. “A human ‘wall’ at the WhiteHouse. Hound Mitch McConnell so that he has no sleep, no lunches w/ lobbyists. Refuse to show up for work. I’d join that!”
What would a nonviolent mass uprising by 800,000 federal workers look like? Sit-ins. Takeover buildings. Shut down all air travel. A human “wall” at the WhiteHouse. Hound Mitch McConnell so that he has no sleep, no lunches w/ lobbyists. Refuse to show up for work. I’d join that!
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 18, 2019
Follow Ben Kew on Facebook, Twitter at @ben_kew, or email him at bkew@breitbart.com.
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