Screenshot taken from X account of FrontlinesTPUSA.
A mob of protesters disrupted a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event at the University of Washington focusing on the threat that transgenderism poses to women.
The event, titled “Protect Women from Men: The Threat of the Trans Agenda,” took place on Tuesday. Olivia Krolczyk, an ambassador for the Riley Gaines Center at the Leadership Institute, was supposed to speak about “how radical gender ideology threatens major institutions such as women’s sports and higher education” before the protesters disrupted the proceedings, according to TPUSA.
TPUSA related that leftist activists “infiltrated the venue, pulling fire alarms, blocking access for attendees, and breaking a window,” as well as throwing “an alarm device into the building, prompting a campus police officer to locate and remove it.”
A video posted by FrontlinesTPUSA on Tuesday shows a mass of protesters outside the event venue, making noise and performing line dances.
BREAKING: Protesters are line dancing and waving signs outside Thompson Hall at @UW in an attempt to shut down the @TPUSA “Protect Women from Men” event featuring @oliviakrolczyk_.@choeshow pic.twitter.com/Agdf2Aov3H
— FRONTLINES (@FrontlinesTPUSA) January 22, 2025
Another video from FrontlinesTPUSA shows the inside of the venue with the fire alarm blaring, which the activists had allegedly triggered.
HAPPENING NOW: Leftist protesters infiltrated the @tpusastudents event promoting The Riley Gaines Center featuring @oliviakrolczyk_
Activists pulled the fire alarm, and are blocking would-be attendees from getting close to the room where the event. @choeshow | @TPUSA pic.twitter.com/sTQPt5EzFN
— FRONTLINES (@FrontlinesTPUSA) January 22, 2025
Krolczyk thanked attendees and apologized for the cancellation of the event due to the protesters’ actions.
The disruption came after a leftist group, the “Progressive Student Union/Students for a Democratic Society” at the University of Washington, called on activists to interrupt Krolczyk’s speech.
The group called Krolczyk a “right wing activist who is trying to make a name for herself by fanning the flames of hatred against trans people across the United States,” and invited followers to “[j]oin us in saying that our campus community stands for trans rights, and that we’ll continue to organize and fight under a Trump presidency to defend our rights.”
Krolczyk spoke to Campus Reform following the event, relating that the activists had “blocked the entrance and exit points all around the building, essentially surrounding the building, so it felt like we were held hostage in the event space with the officers.” She added that “we were outnumbered, 10 officers to 200 protesters.”
“The protesters began to graffiti the building and they broke windows to the room. They were throwing things in like noisemakers,” she continued.
Krolczyk expressed hope despite the interruption, however, saying that the negative attention from the activists demonstrates that “we’re doing something right when they won’t even let us speak. But we certainly have a lot more to do in order to lead the charge to protect and champion both Title IX and free speech.”
Katelyn Seratt, a TPUSA University of Washington club officer, stated to Campus Reform that she “believe[s] that students will hopefully be emboldened by what happened and stand up for the truth. If this happens, there would probably be more in attendance at our event. However, there is also a big chance that students might be a little bit more afraid to come to our events.”
She added that she “feel[s] like the university did not make every effort to secure student safety. I respect and thank all police officers onsite who tried their very best to make sure we were safe. However, the university could have aided us so much.”
Krolczyk did reporting for Campus Reform while she was a student at the University of Cincinnati. Campus Reform is a project of the Leadership Institute.
Campus Reform has contacted the University of Washington for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.
This article was originally published at campusreform.org
