During a TPUSA gathering featuring its founder, Charlie Kirk, at the University of California, Davis, chaos erupted on Tuesday evening as protesters, including Antifa members dressed in black, engaged in a skirmish outside the location. The altercation led to two arrests, Mediaite reported.
Even prior to Kirk’s visit to the campus, his presence was causing apprehension. In an editorial published by the Sacramento Bee on the day of the event, opinion assistant Hannah Holzer referred to Kirk as a “fascist” and accused him of advocating for the lynching of transgender individuals, although Kirk has refuted this accusation.
Following public criticism, the article was amended to eliminate the assertion about the lynching of transgender individuals and the labeling of Kirk as a fascist. Additionally, a tweet posted by the Bee declaring, “Charlie Kirk has called for the lynching of trans people, a comment that should warrant the cancelation of his speaking engagement at UC Davis,” was removed.
The Bee updated its piece with an editor’s note: “An earlier version of this column included a reference to trans people that Charlie Kirk has strongly denied. His denial has been added to the column.”
The UC Davis Chancellor Gary S. May released a statement clarifying that the TPUSA chapter at the university had the right to invite speakers onto campus but said, “UC Davis stands with our transgender and non-binary Aggies in opposition to this hateful and divisive messaging.”
As reported by CBS Sacramento, prior to the event, a considerable number of demonstrators, including a significant presence of law enforcement personnel, had assembled on the campus.
During the conflict, both factions engaged in throwing objects, such as eggs, and caused damage to glass window panes. According to reports, demonstrators deployed pepper spray and made efforts to obstruct the entrance to the venue where the occasion was being held, CBS News reported.
Written by staff
B.C. Begley 