Springsteen criticizes Trump's handling of LA demos at Berlin concert
Bruce Springsteen on Wednesday sharply attacked US President Donald Trump's administration for sending the National Guard and marines to Los Angeles (LA), calling the government "corrupt, incompetent and treasonous" during a concert in Berlin.
"The America that I love. The America that I wrote to you about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration," the singer, known as "The Boss," told his audience of tens of thousands of fans in the city's Olympic Stadium.
He said the Trump administration is sending the US military to the streets of LA based on a false premise of a foreign invasion.
People have been demonstrating in the metropolis for days, protesting Trump's hard-line migration policies and deportation raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency. In response, the US government mobilized 4,000 National Guard soldiers and 700 marines from the regular armed forces for deployment in LA - against the will of California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.
During the first German concert of his European tour, Springsteen repeatedly returned to the themes of democracy and freedom. The musician, who released the Grammy-award winning album "Born in the U.S.A." 41 years ago, spoke for several minutes between songs to cheering fans about the United States.
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