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A woman from California faces charges related to the disturbance during a Turning Point USA event on a college campus that gained widespread attention as demonstrators confronted a conservative speaker.
The individual, Joanna Clara Sodke, aged 22, allegedly took part in the protest at the University of California, Davis on April 3. The event featured commentator Brandon Tatum.
During the “Prove Me Wrong” gathering, Turning Point USA reported that demonstrators damaged camera equipment, destroyed a tent and event signage, overturned tables, and attacked group staff members.
The incident, which sparked nationwide interest, attracted comments from Turning Point USA’s founder, Charlie Kirk, who was tragically killed in September during an appearance at a college campus in Utah.
The chaos that unfolded nationwide drew attention, including from Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September while at a Utah college campus.
Sodke is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit a riot, and one count of battery.
She was scheduled to be arraigned Friday afternoon in Yolo Superior Court, Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig’s office said in a statement.
Sodke graduated from UC Davis in 2024 with a degree in history, The Sacramento Bee reported. Videos from the incident showed a group of masked protesters pulling down a TPUSA tent and shoving event organizers.
Protesters violently disrupted a Turning Point USA event in April at the University of California, Davis. A woman who graduated from the school has been charged for her alleged role in the protest, authorities said. (Turning Point USA )
The charges were announced days after a protester outside a TPUSA event at the UC Berkeley campus. Four Berkeley students were arrested by UC Berkeley police early Monday morning on felony vandalism charges.
The event, as well as the one from April, reignited debates over free speech on college campuses and attacks against conservative speakers.
Police officers separate two men outside a Turning Point USA event at the University of California, Berkeley on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2025, in Berkeley, Calif. (AP)
“There is no place at UC Berkeley for attempts to use violence or intimidation to prevent lawful expression or chill free speech,” a UC Berkeley statement said. “The University is conducting a full investigation and intends to fully cooperate with and assist any federal investigations and the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force to identify the outside agitators responsible for attempting to disrupt last night’s TPUSA event.
