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Numerous spectators and protestors were among the crowd, along with a heavy police presence. Three people were arrested and no one was reported hurt.
Snipers were perched on top of University of Oregon buildings and dozens of campus and Eugene police officers stood watch during an event hosted by Turning Point USA’s UO chapter Wednesday, Oct. 28, at the Erb Memorial Union’s outdoor amphitheater.
The event featured Alex Stein, a right-wing comedian and social media personality.
The event was held in a “prove me wrong” format, popularized by Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, who was shot and killed during a talk at Utah Valley University Sept. 10, 2025. Turning Point is a nonprofit organization that promotes limited government, free-market economics on college campuses.
As at Kirk’s events, UO students and other community members were encouraged to take the microphone and debate Stein on various topics. Stein’s main theme for the UO event was “America is for Americans.”
A crowd of about 300 gathered to hear Stein.
At 10:55 a.m., about a dozen protesters made their way from Pioneer Cemetery to the EMU amphitheater.
“It is right to rebel, fascism can burn in hell,” they chanted.
Five minutes later, Stein made his way to the amphitheater, accompanied by police.
Libby Aithwaite, an organizer with Turning Point USA, said the group is trying to do more events like this on the UO campus.
“We’re honestly trying to get anyone to come out and debate people that disagree on campuses,” Aithwaite said. “Stein was just available for today, but we’re looking for people to converse and see if they can understand where we’re coming from and vice versa.”
Sai Marie Johnson, a local author and advocate in Eugene, was one of many protesting the event.
She posted a video on her Instagram account days before the event, and Stein reposted her video. Many of his fans dubbed her the “Witch of Eugene” because of a costume she was wearing in the video.
She said her goal for the protest was to prove that “this kind of thing is exactly what has no basis on an academic campus or in public discourse anywhere.”
“We stand as an oppositional force for everything that they (Turning Point USA) stand for,” Johnson said. “And when we found out they were going to be there, we said, ‘Of course we are going to be there.’”
Angela Seydel, a spokesperson for the University of Oregon, wrote in an email to Lookout: “The University of Oregon upholds the right to free expression and academic freedom as essential to our mission. We are committed to upholding these rights while fostering an inclusive and respectful campus.”
She also wrote: “Many different organizations regularly schedule events on campus. Turning Point USA reserved the EMU amphitheater for the Oct. 28 event, agreeing to UO policies in holding the event.”
Antonio Lyons, a physics graduate student at UO, was one of many to pick up the mic and debate Stein.
He identifies as an independent who these days leans slightly left.
He said his goal was to have dialogue with Stein. The two talked about evolution, with Lyons arguing that evolution is real while Stein argued that it was not. The argument came to an end when Stein called Lyons a slur.
Lyons said the best way to show opposition to events like these would be through clear and concise argument.
“I think people should come together and form arguments,” Lyons said. “Plan what they are going to say, gather evidence, test their arguments.”
When Stein was confronted by another speaker about interrupting students, he denied it.
“Everyone who’s tried to come up and make a point, I’ve let talk,” Stein said to the crowd. “All I’ve done is attack people who have tried to interrupt the event.”
Bill Vivian, the Republican candidate for House District 8 in Lane County, was in attendance.
“It’s been years since TPUSA has had a presence on campus,” Vivian said. “Just a year ago we lost Charlie Kirk, who was a wonderful negotiator and presenter of his perspectives. But I’m pleased to see young and old here.”
He also said it was a shame that “80% of them can’t hear what’s being said,” citing the protesters.
As the event went on, the crowd size grew and shrank, as did the numbers of protesters. Numerous scuffles between protesters and Stein supporters occurred, including some that drew police intervention to break them up.
The event lasted nearly three hours until 2 p.m.
Stein yelled into the microphone as he was standing up to leave, “Thank you to everyone, even the haters! They tried to shut it down, but they couldn’t!”
Three people were arrested at the event, according to a UO Police Department press release, two for disorderly conduct and one for harassment.
