Newsom silent on violent Berkeley protest of TPUSA at California university
In a troubling incident on Monday night, a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event at UC Berkeley was violently disrupted by left-wing agitators, raising significant concerns about free speech and campus safety. The event, featuring actor Rob Schneider and Christian author Frank Turek, marked the final stop on the “This is the Turning Point” tour. As the gathering commenced at Zellerbach Hall, a group of protesters swarmed the venue, leading to clashes that resulted in multiple arrests. Four female students, aged 20 to 22, were charged with felony vandalism, while two other men, including a 48-year-old unaffiliated with the university, faced misdemeanor charges for trespassing and resisting arrest. Notably, a video capturing one of the skirmishes showed a man assaulting a TPUSA supporter, highlighting the chaotic atmosphere that unfolded.
Despite the severity of the situation, California Governor Gavin Newsom has remained silent on the matter, even as he attends the COP 30 climate conference in Brazil. His lack of response has drawn criticism, especially from conservative circles that view the incident as an attack on free speech. Andrew Kolvet of TPUSA expressed gratitude for the attention given to the violence, condemning the actions of the protesters and calling for accountability. In contrast, the Department of Justice announced an investigation into the events, labeling the mob assault as “unacceptable” and demanding that UC Berkeley preserve all related records. The university has condemned the violence and pledged to cooperate fully with federal authorities, emphasizing its commitment to safeguarding the rights of all community members to speak and assemble freely.
This incident at UC Berkeley underscores the ongoing tensions surrounding free speech on college campuses, where ideological clashes often lead to violence. The university’s response and the federal investigation will be crucial in determining how such events are handled in the future, as well as in addressing the broader implications for First Amendment rights in academic settings. As more details emerge, the conversation around the balance between free expression and campus safety continues to evolve, reflecting the complex dynamics of contemporary political discourse in America.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5Smbbj33P8
Two days after agitators violently disrupted a TPUSA event in Berkeley, California, the state’s governor,
Gavin Newsom
, has yet to issue a public comment on the matter.
The
incident unfolded on Monday night
on the campus of UC Berkeley at a Turning Point event featuring actor Rob Schneider and author Frank Turek, a Christian mentor of the organization’s late founder, Charlie Kirk. Left-wing agitators swarmed Zellerbach Hall, where the event, which was the last stop on the “This is the Turning Point” tour, was held.
Four students at the university were arrested, according to
The Daily Californian
, which omitted the suspects’ names from its report. They were described as females between the ages of 20 and 22. Each was reportedly charged with
felony vandalism
.
The UC Berkeley Police Department confirmed that two other men were arrested during the night’s activities.
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Christopher Joseph Benton, 48, who is unaffiliated with the school, was arrested for trespassing, resisting or obstructing an officer and being unlawfully present on campus, all misdemeanors.
Jay Eduardo Maytorena, 22, listed as a current or former student, was arrested for trespassing and resisting or obstructing an officer.
Several of the skirmishes at the event went viral, including a man caught on video beating a Turning Point USA supporter who was arrested and charged with violent crimes.
Police said that upon further investigation, the second man involved in the fight was attempting to rob the victim of his necklace.
“After speaking with the involved parties and corroborating information through open-source media footage, officers determined that one of the men—Jihad Dphrepaulezz (a 25-year-old Oakland man) had stolen the other man’s chain from around his neck,” police said. “The other man was attempting to get his chain back from Dphrepaulezz.”
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Newsom, who is in Brazil attending the COP 30 climate conference, has not posted about the disruption of the event, which conservatives have labeled as an assault on free speech.
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom’s office for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Newsom famously sat down for an interview with Kirk before the conservative commentator was murdered, and the two
briefly touched
on free speech while discussing TikTok. Newsom raised concerns about teachers “policing speech” in classrooms.
“Grateful this level of attention being paid to what happened to our students last night at UC Berkeley,” Turning Point USA’s Andrew Kolvet
posted on X.
“No one attending a peaceful event should be subjected to the type of harassment and attacks we saw last night. The Antifa thugs who did this MUST be stopped.”
The Department of Justice
announced
it is investigating the campus chaos.
“Mob assault and thuggish intimidation of attendees exercising their
First Amendment rights
are unacceptable,” Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote in a post announcing the probe on X.
The DOJ has demanded that the school preserve all records related to security and campus preparation for the Turning Point event.
In a lengthy statement provided to Fox News Digital, UC Berkeley strongly condemned all violence and threats that may chill freedom of speech. It also said it will cooperate with the federal investigation.
“The University is conducting a full investigation and intends to fully cooperate with and assist any federal investigations and the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force to identify the outside agitators responsible for attempting to disrupt last night’s TPUSA event,” the statement said. “UC Berkeley will take all appropriate steps to safeguard the right of every member of our community to speak and assemble freely.”
Fox News Digital’s Peter D’Abrosca and Stephen Sorace contributed to this report.
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
