UC BERKELEY – Officers arrested four people Monday night at UC Berkeley as Turning Point USA paid its first visit to a California college campus since the killing of co-founder Charlie Kirk.
Two people were taken into custody following a physical altercation outside Zellerbach Hall, where the “American Comeback Tour” event was held. One person, who was wearing a red shirt emblazoned with the word “freedom,” had a bloodied face.
Officers arrested a third person who was pushing on the barricade separating a crowd of protesters from the hall.
A fourth person was also taken into custody after he climbed over and sat on the barricade.
The crowd, which numbered in the hundreds, expressed its opposition to the event with signs and chants, and also by hurling several glass containers filled with a blue substance. The containers sent event attendees scurrying toward the entrance to the hall.
A protest crowd and heavy multi-agency police presence at the “This Is the Turning Point” campus tour event at the University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, Calif., Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (Douglas Despres / for the Bay Area News Group)
Someone also threw a rock, which struck the plastic face shield of a helmeted officer.
The event is Turning Point USA’s first at a college campus in the state since Kirk was fatally shot on Sept. 10. Kirk’s killing has intensified concerns about political violence and renewed debate over how universities balance security and free speech.
Turning Point USA is a nonprofit organization that seeks to promote conservative values on high school and college campuses. It was co-founded by Kirk and his late mentor, Bill Montgomery, in 2012.
The Bay Area News Group requested credentials to cover the event, but a last-minute discrepancy led to a reporter and photographer being barred from entering the venue.
Brynn Pannier, 18, drove from Davis with friends to attend the event. She was standing near the entrance to the hall when containers started sailing through the air.
“That was really scary,” she said. “I have anxiety and coming to something like this is hard for me. I just felt scared. I felt nervous. Things were being thrown you know and I lost my friends.”
Security preparations for the event involved bringing in officers from neighboring agencies and across the UC system, according to UC Berkeley spokesperson Dan Mogulof.
A protest crowd against the “This Is the Turning Point” campus tour event at the University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, Calif., Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (Douglas Despres / for the Bay Area News Group)
Police form a line in front of protesters during the “This Is the Turning Point” campus tour event at the University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, Calif., Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (Douglas Despres / for the Bay Area News Group)
A protest crowd and heavy multi-agency police presence at the “This Is the Turning Point” campus tour event at the University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, Calif., Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (Douglas Despres / for the Bay Area News Group)
A University of California Police Officer aims a weapon at protesters near a barricade outside the Zellerbach Hall during “This Is the Turning Point” campus tour event at the University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, Calif., Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (Douglas Despres / for the Bay Area News Group)
A protest crowd and heavy multi-agency police presence at the “This Is the Turning Point” campus tour event at the University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, Calif., Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (Douglas Despres / for the Bay Area News Group)
A police line in riot gear stands behind a barricade outside the Zellerbach Hall during “This Is the Turning Point” campus tour event at the University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, Calif., Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (Douglas Despres / for the Bay Area News Group)
Attendees buy merchandise on Bancroft Way after the “This Is the Turning Point” campus tour event at the University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, Calif., Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (Douglas Despres / for the Bay Area News Group)
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A protest crowd against the “This Is the Turning Point” campus tour event at the University of California, Berkeley, in Berkeley, Calif., Monday, Nov. 10, 2025. (Douglas Despres / for the Bay Area News Group)
“We have an unwavering commitment to supporting any and every student group who wishes to meet on campus,” he said. “It doesn’t matter their perspectives. Our responsibility is to ensure they provide the resources necessary to keep people safe.”
Mogulof did not have any information about the three people who were arrested Monday.
For Cal junior and campus protest regular Anika Yadav, the size of the police presence was surprising.
“It’s crazy to see the amount of police force out here,” she said. “It’s shocking to see this.”
As attendees left the event, they were met with chants from protesters. Beyond the barricade, all that separated the attendees from the protesters was a thin wall of officers.
CalMatters contributed to this report. Check back for updates.