BERKELEY, Calif. — On Nov. 10, conservative students at one of the country’s most liberal universities hosted the last Turning Point USA event on its “American Comeback Tour.” Federal authorities have launched an investigation into violent protests that erupted outside the event, examining whether the university provided adequate security.
Turning Point USA, founded in 2012 by conservative activist Charlie Kirk, is an Arizona-based non-profit political education organization that seeks to bring constructive debate to college campuses. It has become a flashpoint in America’s culture wars for promoting conservative policy positions on issues such as immigration, gender identity and race.
The event comes in the wake of Kirk’s murder on Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University. Kirk was shot in the neck by 22-year-old Tyler Robinson from Washington, Utah during a speech. Under Kirk’s leadership, TPUSA grew to more than 3,500 school chapters and roughly 2,000 active student groups across the country.
“I used to watch Charlie Kirk all the time,” said Jake Masten, a community college student who recently started a TPUSA chapter at Sierra College in Rocklin, California. “After he was murdered in cold blood, I just felt sick. I thought, ‘We can’t keep watching this happen and expect change if we’re not willing to put in the work.’”
Tensions surfaced Monday morning when four Berkeley students were arrested by University of California police officers on felony vandalism charges. The students were attempting to hang a five-foot-tall cardboard bug in protest of the TPUSA event off Sather Gate which leads into the center of UC Berkeley’s campus.
By 5:30 p.m., the scene at Lower Sproul Plaza had grown increasingly aggressive, with a group of 40 protestors facing approximately 20 police officers in protective gear from behind a barricade. The protestors held signs reading, “All Power to All People,” “Abolish ICE,” and “Defeat Turning Point.”
One protester jumped over the barricade and stormed the group of police officers, before being tackled to the ground and detained. Shortly after, protesters launched paint-filled glass bottles and tear gas at officers and bystanders. One FOX News clip captured a man bleeding from his face after police separated him from a brawl with another individual.
The protest was organized by an anti-fascist coalition called By Any Means Necessary which circulated event details on social media ahead of the TPUSA event.
In response, the Department of Justice launched an investigation into what Attorney General Pam Bondi described as “violent riots” in an X post on Monday night. “Antifa is an existential threat to our nation,” Bondi wrote.
In September, President Trump signed an executive order designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization directing the federal government to “investigate, disrupt, and dismantle any and all illegal operations” by Antifa or its affiliates.
Antifa, short for anti-fascist, is a label used to describe a decentralized movement that believes in anarchism, socialism, and communism. The group has no clear organizational structure and consists of likeminded individuals and groups, according to a Congressional Research Service publication.
Kirk was originally supposed to headline the Berkeley event, which instead featured comedian Rob Schneider and Christian author Frank Turek. The tour has made nine stops at college campuses across the country, featuring Vice President and Second Lady JD and Usha Vance, media personalities Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly, Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville, Eric and Lara Trump, and other prominent conservative figures.
Kirk was known for his fast paced debating style and willingness to engage with students on inflammatory issues. His signature “Prove Me Wrong” debates on college campuses earned him a large social media following and propelled him to national prominence, including a close association with President Donald Trump.
In the weeks following Kirk’s death, TPUSA reported a surge of support. Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of The Charlie Kirk Show, said the nonprofit has been flooded with more than 37,000 new chapter requests, a figure that, if approved, would expand its campus presence nearly twentyfold. Maddux Radabaugh, vice president of the UC Berkeley chapter, said that attendance spiked after Kirk’s murder from around 30 people to 60 active members.
“What motivates me is bringing Turning Point’s ideas [to campus] and fostering public discourse,” said Radabaugh. “We’re a huge campus, but it’s about 95% liberal, so it’s important to engage with conservative ideas that aren’t always addressed here.”
In the days leading up to the event, UC Berkeley implemented a range of heightened security measures. UC Berkeley, the birthplace of the 1964 Free Speech Movement advocating for campus activism, has often been a stage for ideological clashes among students.
The past two years have marked a period of unprecedented turmoil. Since Hamas terrorists attacked Israeli civilians on Oct 7, 2023, tensions have pitted students and faculty against one another, resulting in bipartisan criticism from government officials including an investigation into antisemitism and campus safety by the U.S. Department of Education’s civil rights arm.
Penelope, a student at UC Berkeley shared that the campus climate has become less inflammatory than in years prior, post Kirk’s murder. “Everyone was pretty shocked,” said Penelope. “There were a few cases of people saying inappropriate things, but mostly it was just disbelief. It felt like the first political assassination our generation has come face to face with – a very sobering event for the state of our country.”
By the time the event started at 7 PM, the lower level of Zellerbach Hall was completely full and the crowd was buzzing with energy. Jean Paul Leon, president of the Berkeley TPUSA chapter, took the stage to welcome the crowd, thank security, and acknowledge the tense atmosphere outside the event venue. “There are posters outside calling us fascists,” Leon said to cheers. “But it’s clear which side is winning when your side becomes the violent agitators. Tonight, we’re here to carry on Charlie Kirk’s beautiful legacy.”
Attendees shared that they came for different reasons – some out of curiosity, some to show support for political values.
“It’s good to see like-minded people,” said Raul Salazar Badua, who traveled from UC Davis. “People who believe in God, limiting illegal immigration…basically conservative American values.”
“I want [my daughter] to see that in America you can have a different opinion and still be part of the conversation,” said Nancy Fremouw, who drove from the East Bay. “We’re so lucky to live in America. Young people have the opportunity to express their opinions and, while we may be on opposite sides, that doesn’t mean that we can’t have a conversation and agree to disagree.”
