Charlie Kirk of the conservative organization Turning Point USA spoke at Colorado State University this weekend. While Kirk’s speech apparently went on without a problem, extremists of all stripes clashed outside the building in protests that had to be dispersed by police.

Antifa was there to protest Kirk, and before the night was over, a group of supposed Nazis showed up and clashed with them. Nick Coltrain reports at The Coloradoan:

Protests turn violent at CSU after Charlie Kirk speech Protests around a conservative speaker at CSU on Friday night started peaceful, even if it got rowdy at times, but quickly turned violent when a group wielding riot shields, large flashlights and face masks emblazoned with skulls stormed a dwindling crowd while chanting a Nazi slogan. Campus police, who were wearing helmets with riot masks throughout the event, shut down the clash and drove the groups off. Members of the Larimer County Sheriff’s Office later showed up wearing tactical gear. Protesters were drawn to campus because of a speech by conservative activist Charlie Kirk of Turning Point USA, which says on its website it is devoted to the promotion of the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets and limited government. Protests prior to and during the speech were orderly. The violence broke out while the event was concluding inside the Lory Student Center. Emeshe Amade, a CSU student, said at first she thought the group chanting the slogans were police breaking up the argument because of how equipped they were. Members of campus socialist groups and self-described anti-fascists were arguing with others at the protest about politics when about a dozen members of the third group stormed. CSU police’s Chief Scott Harris issued a dispersal order due to “a risk of an imminent threat of potential violence” following the speech, CSU spokeswoman Dell Rae Ciaravola said. “A group was moving into the area and was confirmed to be armed with bats, shields and gas masks.” She said fewer than 200 people were on the plaza at that time.

Perhaps it’s time to start treating violent extremist groups on both sides as what they are – gangs. These people are thugs who seem to show up at events just looking for a fight.

Jim Jamitis of Red State notes the irony:

Antifa Attempts To Shut Down Another Conservative Speaker In Colorado, Violence Ensues The fascist group that claims to be against fascism has once again provoked a violent confrontation because of someone expressing a point of view they disagree with. And to make matters worse, some white nationalist clowns showed up to help. According to reports, protests outside the venue where Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk was speaking were largely peaceful. However, near the end of the event, socialists and self-described anti-fascists clashed with a third group on the campus plaza. The members of Antifa have a disability when it comes to detecting irony. They remind me of that one Imam who said, during the protests over cartoon depictions of Muhammad, “Stop calling Muslims violent, or we’ll kill you.” If someone is fascistly anti-fascist does that make them pro-fascism or just neutral? Obviously these idiots aren’t neutral, they’re just projecting their own fascist tendencies onto others. The far left is very good at attacking the right for doing things of which the left is guilty. But you already knew that. It’s already a cliche.

Here’s a quick glimpse of the scene:

Witnesses say ANTIFA and a white supremacist group are out on the Plaza. Police have released audience members from the Charlie Kirk event, cautioning them to not leave by the Plaza. @CSUCollegian pic.twitter.com/IOTQl9G9Gv — Haley Candelario (@H_Candelario98) February 3, 2018

Kirk later tweeted this:

Got heated today after my speech today at Colorado State University Had ANTFIA, disgusting white-nationalists, and hundreds of protestors outside event Why free speech is awesome: these handful of radicals screamed at each other while hundreds of students filled our event! pic.twitter.com/HrurGK2ox3 — Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 3, 2018

Featured image via YouTube.



