A chilling silence has fallen from Sacramento. Two days after a violent disruption of a Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley, California’s Governor Gavin Newsom remains conspicuously absent from the public conversation.
The incident unfolded Monday night as actor Rob Schneider and author Frank Turek, a close friend of the late Charlie Kirk, took the stage for the final stop on the “This is the Turning Point” tour. A swarm of left-wing agitators descended upon Zellerbach Hall, transforming a scheduled discussion into a scene of chaos and confrontation.
University police swiftly arrested four female students, aged 20 to 22, each facing felony vandalism charges. Two additional men were also taken into custody: Christopher Joseph Benton, 48, for trespassing and resisting arrest, and Jay Eduardo Maytorena, 22, also for trespassing and resisting.
Viral videos captured the brutality of the night, including a disturbing assault where a Turning Point USA supporter was violently attacked. Initial reports painted the supporter as the aggressor, but a deeper investigation revealed a shocking motive – robbery.
Police determined that Jihad Dphrepaulezz, 25, of Oakland, had stolen the victim’s necklace, and the ensuing struggle was an attempt to reclaim it. The incident underscores a disturbing escalation of tensions and a disregard for personal safety.
Newsom, currently attending the COP 30 climate conference in Brazil, has yet to address the events at Berkeley. This silence has fueled accusations from conservatives that his administration is failing to defend free speech principles.
The Department of Justice has launched a formal investigation into the campus chaos, demanding that UC Berkeley preserve all records related to security and event preparation. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon condemned the “mob assault and thuggish intimidation” as unacceptable.
UC Berkeley officials issued a strong statement condemning the violence and pledging full cooperation with the federal investigation. They vowed to identify and hold accountable the “outside agitators” responsible for attempting to disrupt the event and to safeguard the rights of all members of the community.
The university’s response, while firm in its condemnation, arrives after a night of unrest that has ignited a national debate about the safety of conservative voices on college campuses and the responsibility of leadership to protect open discourse.
This incident raises critical questions about the boundaries of protest and the escalating tactics employed by those seeking to silence opposing viewpoints, leaving many to wonder what steps will be taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
