Conservative UC Berkeley students face violent protests at TPUSA event

Members of the Turning Point USA (TPUSA) chapter at the University of California-Berkeley told Fox News Digital how they coped with being campus conservatives while their organization filmed protests.

“Last week was very hectic and crazy with protesters everywhere, signs everywhere calling us fascists, and we were trying to work with the university to have a successful event. But we pulled it off and had a really nice turnout,” said John Paul Leon, president of the school’s TPUSA chapter.

On Monday evening near UC Berkeley, Leon was moderating an event called This Is The Turning Point, featuring author Frank Turek and actor Rob Schneider, when chaos broke out.

Left-wing agitators flocked to the Zellerbach Hall, where the event was held. According to local police, a man was seen in a viral video attacking a TPUSA supporter near campus and was later arrested.

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The Berkeley Police Department said Fox News Digital officers witnessed two men fighting around 5 p.m. There were several other arrests related to the incident on campus.

Martin Bertao, a junior at Berkeley and president of the College Republicans of America, called the atmosphere “absolutely hostile.”

“The day Charlie was killed on campus, there were people rallying for College Republicans and Turning Point, and people were celebrating his death on campus, telling us he deserved it,” Bertao said.

“When we speak as conservatives in our classes, we are ostracized,” he added, claiming that conservatives were even graded by graduate students.

Bertao said he no longer feels safe on campus after the violent protest earlier in the week.

“They kind of came to a head last night with people getting violent, with people beating up Trump supporters, with people beating up people who were lined up for the Turning Point event,” Bertao said.

Police arrest a protester outside the Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley on November 10, 2025. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

One of the men was wearing a red shirt that read “FREEDOM” in a style similar to the one worn by Turning Point founder Charlie Kirk when he was assassinated in Utah on September 10. The man was beaten and covered in blood.

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“We were safe in and around the venue because security and law enforcement were doing a great job of keeping the protesters out,” Leon said.

“But the environment wasn’t that safe. There were definitely violent actions from the protesters. I know there were multiple people in fistfights and there was a lot of chaos and mayhem. So it’s definitely not a fun experience for our attendees to still be afraid of the protesters even though they were inside the venue.”

Leon told Fox News Digital how he navigated campus while he was president of the TPUSA chapter.

“I definitely have to be careful. When I’m walking around campus, I don’t just stare at my phone and ignore my surroundings. I think that means, ‘I’m always dizzy,’ so to speak. I’m probably not as scared as some of my friends and family members. I’m here because it’s my third year, so I know what to expect. I know sometimes you get desensitized to it all.” said Leon.

Other members of TPUSA at UC Berkeley told Fox News Digital how they felt about the increased attention the organization received in the wake of Kirk’s assassination. Kirk’s murder while speaking at Utah Valley University sparked widespread interest in starting new TPUSA chapters at high schools and universities across the country.

Miguel Muniz, president of the College Republicans at UC Berkeley and president of the California College Republicans, told Fox News Digital that he was caught up in the debacle outside the TPUSA event.

A BLOODY FIGHT BREAKED OUT WHEN AGITATORS WERE PROTESTING THE TPUSA EVENT AT UC BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA

“I couldn’t be more grateful to the law enforcement officers that came out that day under those conditions, you know. It’s definitely not a safe environment with all the protesters there,” Muniz said.

Turning Point U.S. President John Paul Leon and College Republicans president Miguel Muniz. (Fox News Digital)

“It’s definitely not a friendly environment for us, but we’ll keep fighting.

“If you’re just sitting at a table on campus, most of the time it’s obvious that you’re not wanted there, you’re not welcome. You know, people will come and yell at you, they’ll snap at you, they’ll spit on you,” he added. “I don’t think you can find a single College Republican chapter in the state where at least one of its members hasn’t been attacked on campus.”

Despite being outnumbered at a predominantly left-leaning institution, Muniz is vocal in his opinions in the classroom. Although he doesn’t shy away from his beliefs, he says many other conservatives are afraid to speak out.

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“They are silent. They are afraid that left-liberals who know me because of my social media will yell at me in class and cry in political science class,” Muniz said.

“I’m doing what I have to do. While I think everyone has an obligation to come forward and say what they need to say, I can’t blame the students for not doing it.”

UC Berkeley released a statement to Fox News Digital emphasizing its commitment to free speech and safety.

“Our university is committed to maintaining an open and robust marketplace of ideas and 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, UC Berkeley administration worked closely with event organizers to plan the event. UCPD deployed multiple 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 ran without interruption. As evidenced by the event video, the dialogue within the event was civil and engaging, even among those who disagreed with each other.”

Lyons also announced that UCPD is conducting its own investigation and is cooperating with federal authorities, including a visit from Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon.

“UC Berkeley is committed to continuing to safely and respectfully host speakers and events representing diverse perspectives. We will continue to evaluate our policies and practices to ensure that open dialogue and the rule of law are maintained on our campus,” Lyons said. he said.

Fox News’ Alexander Hall contributed to this report.