'Opportunist charlatan': Al Sharpton slammed for likening pro-Palestine campus protests to Jan 6

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Reverend Al Sharpton has found himself at the center of intense backlash after controversially drawing parallels between the pro-Palestine student protests on college campuses and the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol.

During an appearance on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe' on Thursday, May 2, the prominent civil rights leader accused Democrats of applying a double standard, asserting that the demonstrations mirrored the infamous Capitol riots, as per The Hill.

Al Sharpton draws comparison between pro-Palestine college protesters and January 6 rioters

"Anytime what you are protesting for becomes secondary to what you are doing, then you're really not protesting for it, and you, in many ways, dramatize," Sharpton stated.

He added, "How do the Democrats, how do all of us on that side say January 6 was wrong if you can have the same pictures going on on college campuses."

Sharpton's remarks came amidst escalating protests by students and faculty on college campuses nationwide.

The demonstrations, largely peaceful, called for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza and demanded that universities and the United States cut ties with Israel.

However, tensions escalated this week as protesters occupied a building at Columbia University, leading to the New York Police Department stepping in to break up the demonstration.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of the country, individuals opposed to the pro-Palestinian protesters at UCLA tried to forcibly remove a tent encampment set up to support the Palestinian cause, resulting in violent confrontations on Tuesday evening, April 30.

Authorities ultimately moved into the UCLA encampment early Thursday morning and began taking down the tents after warning they would make arrests.

Sharpton contended that the message of the protests had been overshadowed by the unrest, stating, "They need to ask themselves, if they were sincere, are you really focusing on what's going on in Gaza, about the children, about the women, about the innocent people? And in Israel, are you focusing on whether or not you are violent or whether or not you can say the most incendiary statement?"

He further alleged, "I think they've lost the message, and I think that's because they've been infiltrated by people that are not them."

Internet slams Al Sharpton for comparing pro-Palestine protesters to January 6 rioters

Sharpton's controversial comments comparing pro-Palestinian protesters to January 6 rioters ignited a firestorm of criticism on social media.

One user on X exclaimed, "Al Sharpton is genuinely one of the biggest fucking idiots in the world. Worthless dipshit."

Another echoed a similar sentiment, stating, "Al Sharpton being the usual clown he has always been, lol."

A third user remarked, "Al Sharpton once again showing himself to be a useful idiot against the left," while another wrote, "Al Sharpton is one of the most useless people on the planet. That he's convinced white people he has some type of power within the black community is one of the greatest scams of our lifetime."

Others questioned Sharpton's motives, with one user claiming, "Al Sharpton has always been a shill for American empire and exceptionalism," and another asserting, "Al Sharpton, has always been an opportunist Charlatan!!"

The backlash continued, with one user bluntly telling Sharpton, "Rev Al hush your mouth you sound like a moron saying this drivel." Another suggested, "Al Sharpton has always been an opportunist sellout. Theres reasons why civil rights leaders keep distance from him."

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.