Checklist: report the TPUSA event at UC Berkeley, describe Antifa’s actions and planning, include eyewitness quotes and embeds, note speakers and outcome, and put the confrontation in historical free-speech context.
Turning Point USA’s “This Is Turning Point” stop at UC Berkeley drew a packed house and a hard look at campus safety and free speech. The evening featured Rob Schneider and Dr. Frank Turek and came after the tragic assassination of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk two months earlier. Organizers and attendees described a tense atmosphere with clear attempts to intimidate and disrupt the program. Yet the main event proceeded and many inside say the speech went on despite outside chaos.
Hours before the program started, protesters gathered and clashed with attendees and bystanders, producing a violent scene that some called premeditated. Reports and videos show flares, smoke devices, broken glass, and objects hurled at people trying to enter the venue. Several people were injured in the melee and at least some arrests were made amid the confrontations. The visual and physical intimidation seemed designed to scare students and supporters away.
A bloody fight broke out near the University of California, Berkeley, on Monday afternoon, ahead of a Turning Point USA event on campus.
The event, which will feature Dr. Frank Turek and Rob Schneider, marks the end of the “This Is The Turning Point” tour.
It takes place just two months after TPUSA’s founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a campus event in Utah on Sept. 10.
The confrontation erupted at around 4:30 PST. During the brawl, two men were seen fighting each other, one of whom had blood gushing from his face.
Independent journalists and on-the-ground observers traced some of the unrest to organized planning by Antifa-linked cells, claiming coordination weeks in advance. Those claims include screenshots and messages from groups like By Any Means Necessary, which some say framed the actions as direct opposition to conservative speakers. Citizen journalists documented scenes and alleged the planning behind them, and those posts circulated widely among conservative audiences. The sense among attendees was that this was not spontaneous anger but a targeted effort.
Inside Zellerbach Hall, TPUSA personnel and volunteers reported bureaucratic hurdles and last-minute logistical problems with the university, even as they pushed to keep the event on schedule. Despite those obstacles, leadership on stage and staff in the wings kept the program running and engaged the crowd. Rob Schneider charged the audience up, urging them to stick to principles of free speech and debate in the face of intimidation. Dr. Frank Turek took a more philosophical tack, discussing free will, suffering, and moral conflict while underscoring the importance of open discourse.
Outside the hall, the atmosphere did not calm when the speeches ended; reports say protesters continued to shout, throw objects, and try to block exits. Attendees walking out described being met with profanity, slurs, and hostile gestures directed at individuals as they left the theater. Many on site called the behavior intimidation, not protest, emphasizing the difference between expressing disagreement and attacking people who hold a different view. Security personnel and police presence were visible, but the raw footage showed plenty of disorder and fear among bystanders.
This happened to fellow attendees too. It made no sense, and no one could give a straight answer.
Outside, protesters screamed, vandalized, threw paint, and multiple people were arrested. Glass bottles/cups were launched at attendees. This was not “peaceful protest.” It was intimidation. I have never seen anything like it before.
Through all of it, @TPUSA president, @johnpaulleon27, stayed calm and professional. He pushed through bureaucratic resistance and delivered a strong speech, even when the university administration made it as difficult as possible until minutes before.
Tonight proved something simple: You don’t have to agree with us. You don’t have to like what we say. But shutting down speech, blocking access, attacking attendees, and using this kind of “power” to silence students is not democracy. It’s censorship with a smile.
We showed up. We stood firm. We exercised the First Amendment in a place that claims to celebrate free expression. The irony writes itself.
As @RobSchneider best put it, “Shame on you, @UCBerkeley.”
Historically, Berkeley has been a flashpoint for clashes over controversial campus speakers, and this night fit that pattern with modern escalation. Past incidents, like the 2017 cancellations and heavy security surrounding certain conservative events, show a recurring problem: campuses struggle to balance safety, free speech, and activism. What changed this time was the mix of alleged organized planning and the lingering national anger after a high-profile assassination, which added fear and stakes. Campus leaders now face renewed calls to enforce order and protect lawful assemblies without picking sides.
After the event, TPUSA representatives framed the night as a victory for showing up and standing tall in the face of intimidation. Onlookers and participants said the tone among attendees was defiant but determined to keep pushing for robust debate on campus. Critics of the protesters argued universities must do more than manage chaos; they must protect constitutional rights and ensure campuses are safe for all ideas. For many who attended, the message was simple: democracy requires the courage to speak and the will to protect those who do.
As details and footage continue to circulate, the Berkeley stop will likely be cited in future debates about campus policy, policing at events, and how political violence is organized. The event underscored how quickly protest can turn violent and how prepared organizers and defenders must be. What happened at Zellerbach Hall is part of a larger conversation about the limits of protest and the responsibilities of institutions that host public discourse. Observers will watch how administrators and law enforcement respond in the days and weeks ahead.
Eyewitnesses, journalists, and participants will keep pushing for accountability, clearer protocols, and an environment where disagreement does not mean danger. For now, the night at Berkeley remains a stark example of the tensions gripping campuses and the country when speech, safety, and politics collide. The footage and firsthand accounts from the event will keep shaping that debate for some time.
As TPUSA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet said, “.” At Berkeley, tonight was a win.
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