F**king babies': Bill Maher mercilessly tears into liberals, Berkeley for cancelling Ann Coulter

HBO "Real Time" host Bill Maher heavily criticized liberals and the University of California at Berkeley on his show Friday after the school decided this week to cancel an upcoming talk by Ann Coulter and then later re-invite her.

Coulter's speech, which was scheduled for April 27, was cancelled over concerns that her presence on campus would trigger another series of violent protests, something the city of Berkeley has become accustomed to in recent months. The school later reissued the invitation to Coulter, this time for May 2, a time when students are busy studying for final exams or have already gone home for the summer.

"Berkeley used to be the cradle of free speech, and now it's just the cradle for f**king babies," Maher said on his show Friday.

Maher explained that this is not an issue isolated to Berkeley. According to Maher, colleges across the country are cancelling talks because conservative speakers don't offer opinions and ideas that are "exactly what liberals want to hear."

"And they want to shutter [conservative ideas]," Maher said.

"I feel like this is the liberal version of book burning — and it's got to stop," he added.

Maher went on to tear into former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean, who alleged earlier this week that hate speech isn't protected by the First Amendment.

"Yes it is! Threats are not protected by the First Amendment. This is why the Supreme Court said Nazis could march in Skokie — they’re a hateful bunch," Maher explained. "But that’s what the First Amendment means. It doesn’t mean 'shut up and agree with me.'"

Conservative commentator S.E. Cupp, a panelist on Maher's show Friday, doubled down on Maher's criticism.

"It's a shame," she said. "Liberals are creating a fantasy land on college campuses that does not exist in the real world."