Violence erupted outside the University of California, Berkeley, on Monday night as a crowd of protesters confronted attendees of a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event, organizers said.
According to the New York Post, videos from the scene showed demonstrators, some wearing keffiyehs, clashing with police and attendees, leaving several injured.
“Right now at our Turning Point USA campus tour stop at UC Berkeley… Antifa is breaking through police barricades and threatening our event attendees,” TPUSA chief of staff Mikey McCoy posted on X as the chaos unfolded.
One clip captured by Fox News showed a man in a red “Freedom” T-shirt bleeding heavily from the face as police attempted to separate him from another man amid the melee. Authorities confirmed that at least two people were arrested, including one for battery, before the event officially began.
The protest came two months after TPUSA co-founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a campus event in Utah, drawing heightened attention to the Berkeley stop. Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside, with organizers blaming a radical Antifa faction for the unrest.
“The group was involved in organizing prior Antifa attacks on the campus and in the city,” said journalist Andy Ngo, author of Unmasked: Inside Antifa’s Radical Plan to Destroy Democracy.
Despite the violent scenes outside, the hours-long event inside the venue reportedly proceeded smoothly. Hosted by actor Rob Schneider and Christian author Dr. Frank Turek, the program drew a full house.
“Despite Antifa thugs blocking our campus tour stop with tear gas, fireworks, and glass bottles, we had a PACKED HOUSE in the heart of deep blue UC Berkeley,” TPUSA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said. “God bless these brave students.”
Schneider sarcastically addressed the protesters: “Thank YOU, Antifa for welcoming us tonight at UC Berkeley. We look forward to our thoughtful, teargas-free discussion and debate.”
Riot police remained on site as attendees filed out. UC Berkeley assistant vice chancellor Dan Mogulof said the university had been preparing for the protest and emphasized that the campus “fully supports the rights and ability of every single student organization to invite whatever speakers they wish, regardless of their beliefs or perspectives.”
The event marked the final stop of Turning Point’s “American Comeback Tour,” the nationwide series that Kirk had planned to headline before his assassination.
