At least two attendees at a Turning Point USA event at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo made Nazi salutes toward protesters Wednesday night, prompting condemnation from university officials who called the gestures antisemitic and deplorable.

Videos published by Mustang News, Cal Poly’s student-run newspaper, show two men making the gestures outside the campus Performing Arts Center during Turning Point USA’s “America: Love It or Leave It” tour stop. The newspaper reported that at least three attendees made Nazi salutes toward protesters.

The event drew hundreds of attendees and more than 70 protesters, according to Mustang News.

In a message to the campus community Thursday, Cal Poly Associate Vice President Beya Makekau, the university’s senior diversity officer, condemned the gestures.

“The individuals’ actions were antisemitic, deplorable and in direct opposition to the culture of inclusion, respect and empathy that we strive to uphold at Cal Poly,” Makekau said.

Nazi Salutes Captured on Video

Mustang News reporter Dylan White wrote that two men heckled protesters and posed for photographs in front of the demonstration before making the gestures.

Security personnel also were visible on the roof of Cal Poly’s Vista Grande Dining Complex during the event. A photograph published by Mustang News identified the rooftop personnel as snipers.

The event featured Tulsi Gabbard, Riley Gaines, Nick Shirley, and Will Witt, according to the TPUSA Cal Poly social media account.

Turning Point USA’s national tour included stops at Dartmouth College on Tuesday and the University of Miami on Thursday, according to the organization’s website.

University Pledges Action Against Antisemitism

Makekau said Wednesday’s incident reinforced the university’s commitment to implementing recommendations from Cal Poly’s Antisemitism Task Force.

The university plans to bring together campus leaders and community partners during the academic year to strengthen Jewish student life, expand education and awareness, improve support resources, and establish accountability measures.

Makekau also pointed students and employees toward the university’s Bias Incident Response Team, Civil Rights & Compliance Office, and counseling resources.

“There is still important work ahead, but I remain hopeful because of the strength, resilience, and collective commitment of our Cal Poly community,” Makekau said.

The university’s student body president, Tanner Schinderle, separately condemned the Nazi salutes in a statement Thursday.

“This was an unmistakable act of hate and intimidation that has rightly caused anger and fear among our students,” Schinderle said.

Schinderle said students exercising their right to protest should not face hostility or intimidation.

“We cannot become desensitized to hate simply because we encounter it repeatedly,” Schinderle said. “We must continue to call it out, support those impacted by it, and work toward a community where every student knows that they belong.”

TPUSA Says It Can’t Control Actions of Bystanders

Turning Point USA spokesperson Andrew Kolvet defended Wednesday’s event, saying it drew more than 1,200 attendees, with hundreds waiting outside in the rain and others turned away because of capacity limitations.

“As with any public event, we can’t control everything that happens, let alone take responsibility for the actions of a few bystanders,” Kolvet said in a statement to GV Wire.

Kolvet also criticized news coverage focusing on the Nazi salutes, arguing that it distracted from the event’s message of “faith, family, country, decency, and a return common sense.”

“It was an amazing evening in SLO and we already can’t wait to come back,” Kolvet said.