Charlie Kirk and Proud Boys Confronted at UC Davis

Report from Pink Knight Press on recent antifascist mobilization against Turning Point USA event at UC Davis that brought out members of the Proud Boys.

photo: Black Zebra

Students began protesting at Kirk’s planned venue at 5 PM, a small group that doubled in size every few minutes. Right-wing event attendees and streamers prodded the crowd with jeers and fake-outs while the student resistance performed pro-Trans, feminist, anti-racist, and anti-fascist chants. At 5:50 PM, a surge of new anti-Kirk activists poured in with banners and pushed to the event entrance, bringing the resistance crowd to between 250 and 300 people. A line of fifty or so Turning Point USA supporters were preparing for the event doors to open at 6 PM.

Proud Boys attacked Turning Point protesters at #UCDavis in 2022.

'MAGA Hulk' later posed with the same Proud Boys, including Jeff Perrine who said migrants should be murdered by "smashing their head into the concrete."

Last night, Proud Boys showed up again, but this time… pic.twitter.com/UF3WnIrsko

— OFF THE 99 (@Off_The_99) March 15, 2023

Beyond shouts, the groups didn’t clash immediately. Attendees began trickling past the growing throng of riot police and into the event center. As police presence grew heavily, a quick and brutal arrest was made of an outlying activist, then a second. Six Proud Boys slowly peeked out before making their way into the field, some holding up white power symbols. The crowd jeered for them to come closer. Outnumbered twenty-five to one, they backed away.

Thanks to Pridewasariot, we got some lovely footage of #ProudBoys running. #ChudWatch #ProudBabies pic.twitter.com/Hp1PMfkaIg

— Atlanta Justice Alliance (@AtlantaJustice) March 16, 2023

Suddenly, the crowd came alive and surged towards the fleeing fascists. When the corner was turned, the crowd regained the target of the event and struck back against it, subverting police forces and evading fascists. Riot police slowed by bewilderment and equipment were unable to stop property damage.

🦓: 100+ Protestors disrupt tpusa event put on by founder Charlie Kirk. UC Davis police responded in rull riot gear and took offensive stances armed with batons, guns, mace, zip ties, shields, and more.
| 3.14.2023
📍: UC Davis, CA pic.twitter.com/G3uq7SK9ev

— Black Zebra Productions (@blackzebrapro) March 15, 2023

With the goal achieved, the crowd fell back together, and the riot police scrambled to regain control of the event area. The crowd paused and more fully regained itself before marching away; after a little while, they circled back to the event center. A smaller number of fascists again attempted to attack the crowd but were boldly confronted, fleeing almost immediately.

This is Jeffrey Perrine, a #Sacramento Proud Boy, whose call to murder migrant families at the border by "smashing their heads into the concrete," was so vile he was even kicked out of the local GOP.

He was welcomed with open arms at the #CharlieKirk event at #UCDavis. https://t.co/3w1Q48YgvJ pic.twitter.com/x6QSnYXJGn

— OFF THE 99 (@Off_The_99) March 16, 2023

The crowd then turned its attention to the police line that was still defending Turning Point USA’s event. The crowd found courage in the chant “Ah! Anti! Anti-fascista!,” stomping to the rhythm and moving forward. The police rammed batons into banners, sending aimless jabs into students. The brutal beatings continued for minutes on end as the crowd moved to cover its blind spots, finding needs and meeting them.