UC Berkeley TPUSA members navigate polarized campus following protests and arrests
Members of a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter at the University of California-Berkeley spoke with Fox News Digital about how they are dealing with being campus conservatives while their organization has been attracting protests.
“Just the past week has been very hectic and crazy with protesters everywhere, with signs everywhere calling us fascists, and just trying to work with the university to have a successful event. But we pulled it through, and we had a really nice turnout,” said John Paul Leon, the president of the school’s TPUSA chapter.
Chaos erupted near UC Berkeley on Monday evening while Leon was conducting an event called, “This Is The Turning Point,” featuring author Frank Turek and actor Rob Schneider.
Left-wing agitators swarmed Zellerbach Hall where the event was held. A man was seen in a viral video assaulting a TPUSA supporter near the campus and was later arrested, according to local police.
The Berkeley Police Department told Fox News Digital officers witnessed two men fighting at around 5:00 p.m. local time. There were several other arrests related to the campus event.
INSIDE THE CHAOS OF BLOODY BERKELEY AS PROTESTERS GO WILD DURING TURNING POINT USA EVENT
Martin Bertao, a junior at Berkeley and president of the College Republicans of America, described the atmosphere as “certainly hostile.”
“The day that Charlie was murdered on campus, we had people tabling for College Republicans and for Turning Point, and people were out on campus celebrating his death, telling us he deserved it,” Bertao said.
“In our classes when we speak as conservatives, we’re ostracized,” he added, claiming conservatives even get marked down by graduate student instructors.
Bertao said he no longer feels safe on campus following the violent protest earlier in the week.
“They kind of came to a head last night with people resorting to violence, with people beating up Trump supporters and people beating up those who were just in line for the Turning Point event,” Bertao said.
One of the men was wearing a red shirt that said “FREEDOM,” in a similar style to what Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk was wearing when he was assassinated in Utah on Sept. 10. That man was left beaten and bloodied.
“We were safe inside the venue and around the venue because security and law enforcement were doing a great job keeping the protesters out,” Leon said.
“But in the perimeter, it was not as safe. There were definitely violent acts going on by the protesters. I know multiple people got into fistfights and there was just a lot of chaos and mayhem running loose. So it’s definitely not a fun experience, having our attendees still scared by the protesters, even despite being inside the venue,” he added.
Leon explained to Fox News Digital how he navigated campus while being the president of the TPUSA chapter.
“I definitely have to be cautious. As I walk through campus, I’m not just staring down at my phone and ignoring my surroundings. I guess the term for it is, ‘I’m always keeping my head on a swivel,’ so to speak… I’m probably not as scared as some of my friends and family members. I’ve kind of been here for this is my third year here. So, I know what to expect. I know that’s like sometimes you get desensitized to all of it,” Leon said.
Other members of TPUSA at UC Berkeley told Fox News Digital what they felt about the growing attention the organization is receiving in the wake of the assassination of Kirk. Kirk’s assassination while speaking at Utah Valley University has sparked a huge interest across the country to start new TPUSA chapters in high schools and colleges.
Miguel Muniz, the president of the College Republicans at UC Berkeley and the chair of California College Republicans, told Fox News Digital that he was caught up in the debacle that occurred outside the TPUSA event.
BLOODY BRAWL BREAKS OUT AS AGITATORS PROTEST TPUSA EVENT AT UC BERKELEY IN CALIFORNIA
“I could not be more thankful to the law enforcement who came out that day in those conditions, you know, definitely not a safe environment with all the protesters there,” Muniz said.
“It’s definitely not a friendly environment for us, but we’re going to keep fighting,” Muniz said.
“If you’re just tabling on campus, it’s clear most of the time that you’re not wanted there, you’re not welcome there. You know, people coming up, screaming, flipping you off, spitting at you,” he added. “I don’t think you could find a single College Republican chapter in the state that hasn’t had at least one of their members be assaulted on campus.”
Muniz is vocal about his opinions in class, despite being outnumbered at a predominantly left-leaning institution. Although he’s not shy about his convictions, he says many other conservatives are afraid to speak up.
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“They’re silent. They’re scared of the leftist liberals who recognize me for my social media… just screaming at me in class, crying in a political science class,” Muniz said.
“I’m doing what I got to do. And as much as I think everyone has an obligation to come out and say what they need to say, I cannot blame the students for not doing that,” Muniz said.
UC Berkeley released a statement to Fox News Digital emphasizing a commitment to free expression and safety.
“Our University is committed to an open and robust marketplace of ideas and to maintaining a campus where people of all beliefs and perspectives can feel safe and respected,” UC Berkeley Chancellor Rich Lyons told Fox News Digital.
“In the weeks and months leading up to Monday’s events, the UC Berkeley administration worked closely with event organizers to plan the event. UCPD enlisted numerous law enforcement agencies to assist with the security and management of the event. As a result, an estimated 900 people were able to attend an event that proceeded without disruption. As is clear from the event video, the dialogue inside the event was civil and engaging, even among those who disagreed with each other,” he added.
Lyons explained further that UCPD is conducting its own investigation and cooperating with federal officials, including with a visit by Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon.
“UC Berkeley is committed to continuing to host speakers and events representing a variety of viewpoints in a safe and respectful manner. We will continue to evaluate our policies and practices to ensure that open dialogue and the rule of law continue to be upheld on our campus,” Lyons said.
