On Monday afternoon in Berkeley, a bloody confrontation broke out near the campus of the University of California, Berkeley as the conservative student-activist group Turning Point USA (TPUSA) held its final stop of the “This Is The Turning Point” tour. The event featured noted conservative voices Dr. Frank Turek and actor-activist Rob Schneider, and came just two months after the murder of TPUSA’s founder, Charlie Kirk, at a campus event in Utah on Sept. 10.
According to video from Fox News Digital, the skirmish began around 4:30 p.m. PST. Two men were seen grappling in the altercation, with one suffering a serious facial injury and blood clearly visible. A mob of agitators—many wearing keffiyehs and carrying left-wing protest signs—surrounded the fight. The local police, including officers donning shields and batons, appeared challenged to regain control of the crowd.
The Berkeley Police Department reported at least two arrests by 6 p.m.—one individual was arrested for battery. A university spokesperson clarified the brawl occurred off campus grounds and declined further comment.
Turek, in a recent interview ahead of the event, said he urged Kirk to make the Berkeley stop of the tour: “If I could go to any one event with him, it would be that one… I wanted to go to UC Berkeley because it is so progressive and liberal in their views, and I wanted to provide evidence that Christianity was indeed true.”
As departure began, protesters reportedly surrounded all exits to the venue, heckled attendees, and shouted obscenities as they filtered out. It remains unclear how many individuals were injured in the fight.
Kirk, Trump & the Conservative Youth Movement
Charlie Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012, with the mission of mobilizing conservative students on college campuses. His organization became a central pillar of conservative youth activism.
Kirk’s relationship with Donald Trump evolved into a potent alignment:
- Kirk was considered a key figure in helping Trump make inroads with younger voters, a segment Democrats long dominated.
- He developed a direct line to the Trump orbit; multiple sources note that his influence extended beyond student activism into campaign strategy.
Kirk’s impact on the GOP’s youthful base, combined with his focus on campus organizing, made him a strategic asset to the Trump-aligned Republican coalition. As one analysis put it: “Kirk’s efforts significantly contributed to Trump’s appeal among younger voters.”
The Berkeley incident is not just a campus skirmish but reflects broader tensions where conservative activism, campus culture, and political violence intersect
