MSNBC's Al Sharpton compares anti-Israel demonstrations to Jan 6: Democrats losing 'moral high ground'

MSNBC host Al Sharpton compared anti-Israel protests to the events of Jan. 6 on Thursday and said Democrats were losing the "moral high ground" by not calling out the demonstrations on college campuses. 

MSNBC's "Morning Joe" showed footage of police moving in on UCLA's anti-Israel encampment, as host Joe Scarborough demanded Democrats speak out against these demonstrations. 

"The politics of that, what is being robbed by them not doing that, Joe, where you and I agree. How do the Democrats, how do all of us on that side say Jan. 6th was wrong if you can have the same pictures going on on college campuses, you lose the moral high ground," Sharpton said.  

"Good Lord, don't make a parallel to Jan. 6th," co-host Mika Brzezinski said in response. "For some reason that's not allowed."

MSNBC's Al Sharpton compared anti-Israel protests to Jan. 6 on Thursday. (John Lamparski/Getty Images | Jason Armond/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

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Brzezinski made the same comparison on Tuesday's "Morning Joe" while reacting to footage of the protests. 

"That’s the place we’ve all been sitting in, watching this, going, ‘What the hell is going on? What are these universities doing? Why aren’t they doing something?’ And I’ll echo the horror that this does look like Jan. 6th. What a terrible example for our students," she said at the time. 

Sharpton also argued during "Morning Joe" on Thursday that campus protesters "lost the message" and have made these demonstrations about them, rather than their larger cause. 

"Anytime what you are protesting for becomes secondary to what you are doing, then you really aren't protesting for it," Sharpton said. He added that the anti-Israel protesters had "become the cause" and have largely shied away from their original message. 

The co-hosts of "Morning Joe" on Thursday discussed the protests at UCLA, which police broke up. (Screenshot/MSNBC)

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"It's about them, it's not about pushing the cause. 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? How are you guiding this? It's about them, and I think that they've lost the message," Sharpton said. 

Sharpton argued that outside agitators were the reason the protests have taken a turn for the worse. 

Police moved in on UCLA's anti-Israel encampment after an hourslong standoff with protesters. Local FOX affiliate KTTV reported that officers met heavy resistance as they approached the camp.

Police at UCLA were given permission to clear a massive anti-Israel demonstration. (Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images)

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Protesters attempted to resist by shining bright flashlights into the eyes of officers, KTTV reported. Police were seen detaining several people and hauling them away with their hands zip-tied behind their backs, Fox News Digital reported.

Fox News' Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.