Alan Dershowitz Calls Antifa Out for 'Trying to Tear Down America'

Noted liberal Alan Dershowitz is coming under fire from detractors on the left over his criticism of the extremism espoused by the Antifa movement.

The Harvard Law School professor emeritus, a vocal Hillary Clinton supporter during the presidential campaign, has called out the far-left movement’s role in the violence that unfolded in Charlottsville — though continuing his criticism of President Trump’s decision not to call out the KKK and Neo-Nazis.

“Look, we’re both a nation of immigrants and a nation of discrimination against immigrants. That’s an important history for us to remember. And the other important thing is do not glorify the violent people who are now tearing down the statues,” Dershowitz told Fox & Friends last week of the Antifa.

“Many of these people, not all of them, many of these people are trying to tear down America. A radical American, anti-free market communist, socialist, hard-left organization that tries to stop speakers on campuses from speaking. They use violence and just because they’re opposed to fascism and to some of these monuments shouldn’t make them heroes of the liberals.”

Dershowitz’s condemnation of extremists on both sides of the political spectrum — which was echoed in an op-ed he wrote for The Algemeiner last week — sparked some anger on social media. Some suggested it echoed too closely Trump’s “many sides” comments in the wake of Charlottsville.

Alan, I’ve defended the obsequious Trump apologies but this tepid op ed is “a bridge too far” @tribelaw @AlanDersh : https://t.co/NczSR5ts5X

— Mark Geragos (@markgeragos) August 23, 2017

Dershowitz, though, wrote that he expects conservatives to call out white supremacy groups that purport to speak for their side and, “I also believe that it is the special responsibility of decent liberals to do the same with regard to hard left bigoted extremists.

“I must acknowledge, as a liberal, that we have not done as good a job as decent conservatives have done. Perhaps this is because hard left extremists often march under banners of benevolence, whereas, hard rights extremists tend not to hide their malevolence.”