On March 7, the Cal Poly chapter of right-wing group Turning Point USA (TPUSA), brought the founder of TPUSA Charlie Kirk to campus to host a “Prove Me Wrong” table on Dexter Lawn. Hundreds of people congregated around the table, some to ask Kirk questions and others to protest the event.
President of Cal Poly TPUSA and industrial engineering senior Madison Pierce said the point of the Prove Me Wrong table is to have a “peaceful debate” in “a controlled environment.”
Charlie Kirk founded TPUSA in 2012 and hosts the Charlie Kirk Show podcast, where he aims to spread his “unapologetically conservative, freedom-loving point of view,” according to his Apple Podcast profile.
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According to Pierce, Kirk was on campus for approximately two hours. He spoke and took pictures from 12:30 to 2 p.m. TPUSA Cal Poly was on Dexter Lawn on Wednesday, March 6 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to advertise the event by handing out flyers.
At one point, the crowd began to sing The Star-Spangled Banner.
Protestors from various student groups arrived at Dexter Lawn at noon on Thursday. They marched through campus, including past the rec center, with chants like “Charlie Kirk has got to go,” and “Turning Point has got to go.” Many protestors had masks on.
Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) were not among the marchers, but held their own booth on Dexter with a sign that said “If you hate Charlie Kirk, join Cal Poly YDSA!”
Co-chair of Young Democratic Socialists of America (YDSA) and electrical engineering graduate student Connor Winnen was at Dexter Lawn because he said Charlie Kirk is the head of a hateful organization that aims to “spread fascism everywhere.”
“It would be awesome if there was no one at his booth and no one engaging him in conversation,” Winnen said. “He has media training. He has memorized talking points. He is probably able to make it look like he won the argument and even if you completely own him and you win the argument. He can just cut that out of their propaganda.”
Kirk has gone to other college campuses to conduct Prove Me Wrong tables, where he has also been met with opposition.
In December, TPUSA brought Chloe Cole and Billboard Chris, two anti-trans speakers, to speak at Cal Poly. This led to the counter-event, Queer Joy presented by Cal Poly Drag Club, Young Democratic Socialists of America, Students for Quality Education and Gala Pride and Diversity. This is the second speaker event TPUSA has ever had on campus.
Electrical engineering junior Mackenzie Miranda was involved in a concert held in protest of the December event. When asked about the Charlie Kirk event, she said she was aware of it in December.
Miranda did not directly protest the table and said that she wanted to keep people from even knowing it was happening. She did not want people to debate him.
“He literally just wants to get a rise out of people, that way he can post them online and make fun of them,” Miranda said.
Instead of attending the booth on Dexter Lawn, Miranda said she indirectly put on a music festival in Chumash Auditorium on the Sunday following Kirk coming to campus.
“I know that Cal Poly is not to blame for this, and for allowing this to happen,” Miranda said. “I am aware that it is free speech and all and it is honestly really awesome that Cal Poly’s willing to let there be responses to it at all and not just shut them down.”
Agricultural systems management sophomore Travis Smith thought the Prove Me Wrong table had a good turnout and that it brought people together.
“Well, we just love Charlie Kirk,” Smith said. “We love watching him on the internet, and we support what he supports and we just wanted to come support him and hear what he had to say.”