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CNN's Marc Lamont Hill Says Right-Wing Riots Occur as Often as Left-Wing Ones on College Campuses, Struggles to Support Claim

February 14, 2017

CNN political commentator Marc Lamont Hill said earlier this month that right-wing riots occur as frequently on college campuses as similar left-wing demonstrations, but he was unable to provide concrete examples to support his claim.

Hill appeared on CNN's "Newsroom" with fellow network commentator Ben Ferguson to discuss riots that broke out Feb. 1 at the at the University of California, Berkeley. Students and other activists were protesting against Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos, who was scheduled to speak at the school that night but had to cancel after the demonstrations deteriorated into riots.

"I think liberals need to grow up on college campuses because people are actually getting hurt now," Ferguson said the day after the riots.

Hill then responded that it is inaccurate to say only left-wing protests turn violent on campuses.

"I think it's also a bit inaccurate to say that this is a problem purely on the left. I think we have intolerance on the left and on the right," said Hill, a professor of African American studies at Morehouse College.

"I traveled to college speaking circuits all the time in school, and the right boycotts, they write letters not to let me in," he added.

Ferguson then challenged Hill to prove that conservatives protest violently on college campuses. Hill did not directly answer the question.

"They don't always go to college campus. They sometimes blow up abortion clinics; sometimes they burn down mosques; they sometimes shoot up churches," Hill said.

"That's not what we're talking about, now your stretching," Ferguson shot back.

Hill then argued that both sides of the political spectrum have extremists, but did not provide Ferguson an example of conservatives protesting violently like the people at Berkeley.

"Let's not pretend the left has only violent forms of disagreement. That's simply inaccurate," Hill said.

"Marc, tell me one example where conservatives on a campus have done this, one example," Ferguson responded.

Hill did not answer Ferguson's question, instead telling him to stop interrupting. Hill then went on to another point about President Trump threatening to cut funds from Berkeley after the riots occurred.