Democrat presidential candidate and Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) signed a petition that has been circulating among students and staff at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), which smears the conservative student organization, Turning Point USA.
“We are deeply alarmed by your administration’s inadequate response to the presence and impacts of Turning Point USA (TPUSA) on our campus,” read a petition addressed to UNR president Marc Johnson, claiming that the university president has failed to “fully support students who organize anti-racist speech, protest, and action.”
The petition, entitled, Concerning white nationalism on the University of Nevada, Reno campus, smears TPUSA — which recently hosted its annual Black Leadership Summit — as a group that is engaging in “white nationalist tactics.”
Among the signers of the petition includes “Kamala Harris, Presidential Candidate,” who visited UNR’s campus earlier this month.
The petition goes on to accuse the university of “the lack of commitment to systemic transformation of the racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, and homophobic atmosphere on campus,” and specifically cites dismay over the arrests of one student, Edsel Bester, who was apprehended by police and taken to the Washoe County Jail after targeting TPUSA members on campus.
The arrests of a UNR student who brought a sign reading “Abolish ICE” to the UNR stadium, and who argued with campus TPUSA members and knocked over their display table. Both arrests were carried out by the Reno Police Department with no apparent attempt to resolve conflict through campus resources, and no communication with the campus community.
“TPUSA is waging a campaign to recruit students at colleges and universities nationwide. They have significantly increased their activity over the past years and months,” states the petition, which goes on to vilify TPUSA by attempting to conflate the organization with anti-capitalist and white nationalist groups — all of which have no affiliation with TPUSA.
Student members of UNR’s TPUSA group expressed shock and concern over now finding themselves targeted by leftists on campus.
“No one ever talked to us, so they would never know who we are actually,” said one UNR TPUSA member to Breitbart News. “We all have strong moral characters. This is why it’s so upsetting — we all come from a good place in our hearts.”
The petition goes on to proclaim that “racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric” may eventually “escalate into physical violence, including gun violence” on campus.
“We believe that it is crucial to prevent an established pattern of intimidation from escalating further,” states the petition.
Some may argue, however, that “an established pattern of intimidation” might involve white leftists attempting to silence black conservative and TPUSA regional manager Richard Mills — just days after Bester was arrested for targeting TPUSA members in what was a separate incident on campus.
“Most conservatives agree black lives matter — even if we disagree with the divisive movement named after the same statement,” tweeted Mills, which included a video of the incident. “When I joined [UNR] protestors in agreement of that statement, two white leftists prevented me, a black man, from doing so. How is that not racist?”
While speaking at UNR last week, TPUSA founder and executive director Charlie Kirk addressed the smears targeting his organization on campus.
“I want to make something very, very clear — the evil, wicked ideology of white supremacy has no place in our organization. We repudiate it, we reject it wholeheartedly and completely, as should any decent American,” said Kirk, which elicited a response of cheers and applause from TPUSA members and fans in the audience.
A TPUSA spokesperson told Breitbart News in a phone interview that Sen. Harris “is either incredibly ignorant or wildly reckless to sign a document that places a mainstream organization like Turning Point USA in the same breath as hate or bigotry.”
“It is not only defamatory, but it endangers the many patriots and amazing young people that are a part of UNR’s TPUSA chapter — who represent all backgrounds, genders, skin colors — putting them at risk of doxing, physical harm, and harassment, all because Senator Harris failed to reflect the truth by signing such a fallacious petition.”
The concerns raised by TPUSA are not unfounded, given that leftists at the University of Texas at Austin — who have doxed pro-Kavanaugh students — also threatened to dox incoming fall 2019 freshmen students seeking to get involved with the conservative student organization.
“TPUSA would welcome the opportunity to speak face-to-face with Senator Harris — particularly with the leaders of our young Black Leadership Summit or Latino Leadership Summit, who are directly impacted by the senator’s actions — so that she can understand what our organization is for, and what it is against,” added the TPUSA spokesperson.
“Namely, TPUSA is against all forms of hate, racism, and bigotry,” affirmed the spokesperson. “We should stand united on these issues.”
You can follow Alana Mastrangelo on Twitter at @ARmastrangelo and on Instagram.
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