A man who wore a sweatshirt with the words “Camp Auschwitz” during last week’s mob invasion of the U.S. Capitol, was arrested on Wednesday.
Robert Packer, 56, was arrested by U.S. marshals in Virginia on charges of illegally entering a restricted area, and violent entry and disorderly conduct on Capitol grounds, according to court records.
The sweatshirt Packer wore read “Camp Auschwitz,” just above a skull and with the caption “Work Brings Freedom,” alluding to the sign at the entrance of the Auschwitz Nazi concentration and death camp, Arbeit macht frei (“Work sets you free”).
Viral photos exposed Packer wearing the sweatshirt inside the Capitol building Capitol as Congress was tallying U.S. President-elect Joe Biden’s electoral victory.
A person familiar with Packer described him “as a long-time extremist who has had run-ins with the law.”
“He’s been always extreme and very vocal about his beliefs,” the person said.
Virginia court records show that Packer has a criminal history that includes three convictions for driving under the influence and a felony conviction for forging public records.