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Bullhorns, signs and competing political messages filled downtown San Antonio on Saturday as more than 100 protesters gathered outside Turning Point USA's Women's Leadership Summit at the Marriott Rivercenter, highlighting sharp divisions over the conservative organization's growing influence among young conservatives.
Among the protesters was San Antonio student Luthiem Hashempour, who attended the conference on its opening day before joining the demonstration.
"There was a button they had that says truth over skin color. It shows basically white over black," Hashempour said. "That's so blatantly racist, and they're so open about it in that event, once they're with other people who are also like-minded like that. It's very scary."
Katherine, a University of South Alabama student who declined to give her last name and serves on the board of a Turning Point chapter at her school, said the organization has provided opportunities she values.
"I would say I support Turning Point," she said. "I think it's given me a lot of opportunities at school and everything. They paid for me to be here. I'm very grateful for them. I know a lot of people disagree with what Turning Point does."
Hashempour said she understands the financial appeal Turning Point promises to students, but sees it as misguided.
“If you start a chapter in TP USA and have just the name itself, they will fund it, so it's like they're giving money for these kind of false chapters, and it kind of makes sense, you know,” said Hashempour.
Turning Point USA was founded in 2012 by conservative activist Charlie Kirk and has grown into one of the country's most influential conservative youth organizations, with chapters on high school and college campuses nationwide.
After Charlie Kirk's death in 2025, his widow, Erika Kirk, became the organization's CEO and chair and was a featured speaker at this year's Women's Leadership Summit in San Antonio.
Turning Point USA and its leaders have drawn criticism from opponents who argue the organization promotes misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric.
The protest unfolded amid heightened security after a San Antonio man was arrested last month and accused of threatening Erika Kirk and the summit itself.
Members of the Church of Wells, an evangelical Christian church based in East Texas, were among the first to arrive outside the summit.
Hannah Gardner traveled five hours from East Texas to hand out literature and speak to conference attendees.
“So we're not coming here as like a protest against the conference, but because we see needy souls here who are not going to have their needs met by what's being communicated in this conference,” said Gardner.
The Church of Wells has faced controversy over its practices and allegations of controlling behavior and spiritual abuse, allegations the church has denied. Its presence underscored the range of viewpoints represented outside the summit.
By mid-afternoon, protesters crowded the area outside the Marriott Rivercenter, briefly disrupting traffic on Commerce Street. Police directed westbound traffic around the gathering.
Throughout the day, protesters and conference attendees engaged in often-contentious debates over religion, abortion, immigration, racism, sexism, misogyny and Islamophobia, with competing worldviews playing out in public.
A bullhorn was knocked out of a man's hand during one confrontation. In another, officers tackled a man to the ground, handcuffed him and carried him away after a heated altercation.
