AP file photo
More than 200 demonstrators gathered at the University of California, Berkeley, on Monday (local time) to protest an event organised by Turning Point USA, the conservative group founded by Charlie Kirk.The event, featuring Frank Turek and actor Rob Schneider as part of the “This Is The Turning Point” tour, was preceded by a violent altercation near the campus that left several people injured.The confrontation broke out around 4:30 pm PST (6:00 pm IST), when two men were seen fighting near the UC Berkeley campus, with one suffering visible facial injuries, as cited by Fox News. The incident occurred just two months after TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated during a campus event in Utah on September 10.The Berkeley event drew a large protest with hundreds of demonstrators gathering outside Zellerbach Hall. Protesters chanted “fascists out of Berkeley” and held signs reading “we won the war, why are there still Nazis” and “no safe space for fascist scum,” while many waved Palestinian flags.Dozens of police officers were stationed around the entrance to maintain order and clear a path for attendees, as helicopters hovered overhead. At least three people were arrested during the protests, including two detained after a physical altercation. Demonstrators also directed their anger toward the heavy police presence, chanting “CHP go home” at members of the California Highway Patrol positioned at the front line, as cited by the Guardian.Dozens of officers stood blocking access to the building where the TPUSA event was taking place, some equipped with body-mounted cameras.Earlier that day, campus police arrested four students for alleged vandalism after they attempted to hang a large cardboard bug on a campus gate ahead of the event, according to The Daily Californian.“There was anxiety on campus ahead of the event,” Sophie Mason, a freshman who stopped by the protest after class was quoted as saying by the Guardian. She called the event the “talk of the town.”“There was a lot of tension. People were worried,” she added.Even two hours after the event began, the crowd outside remained energized, showing no signs of dispersing.Charlie Kirk, an American political activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated on September 10 during his “Prove Me Wrong” debate event at Utah Valley University. As the organization’s executive director, Kirk had been a prominent figure in advocating conservative values and political engagement among young Americans.
