Dartmouth College's president is defending himself to faculty after he characterized a professor's televised comments as "supporting violent protest."

President Philip Hanlon said Thursday he made the Aug. 21 statement after a surge of reaction from students, families, alumni and others who interpreted professor Mark Bray's remarks as supporting violent protest and believed Bray was speaking for the Ivy League school.

Hanlon was criticized in a letter by more than 100 faculty members for his statement after Bray appeared on "Meet the Press" to explain the anti-fascism movement.

Bray is the author of "Antifa: The Anti-Fascist Handbook" and said many in the movement consider self-defense a legitimate response to white supremacist and neo-Nazi violence.

Hanlon's statement said Bray's remarks don't reflect Dartmouth's views.

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