Carney: We 'deplore' any acts of violence at right-to-work protests

White House press secretary Jay Carney on Thursday responded to reports of violence at union rallies in Michigan earlier this week, as labor groups protested the passage of a "right-to-work" law.

Carney said he hadn't discussed the reports with President Obama. "I haven't discussed reports like that with him, so I'm not sure if he's aware of it, but we would deplore violence in any case," Carney said Thursday.

Michigan State Police vowed to investigate all reported acts of violence during the protests, including one in which Fox News contributor Steven Crowder was attacked by labor protesters, according to the Lansing State Journal.

Thousands of protesters marched on Michigan's capitol in Lansing to protest the state legislature's passage of right-to-work legislation, which bans requiring employees to join a union or pay union dues to stay employed. Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) signed the legislation into law on Tuesday evening, a few hours after the bill passed the state legislature.

Obama has criticized the legislation, and Carney reiterated that on Thursday.

"Right-to-work laws are really right-to-be-paid-less laws, and they reflect a political agenda not an economic agenda," Carney added.

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