The Justice Department has launched an investigation into the protests that erupted outside a Turning Point USA event at the University of California, Berkeley. Attorney General Pam Bondi made this announcement on Tuesday, indicating that the inquiry is part of President Trump's broader initiative to combat the antifa movement. In a post on X, Bondi revealed that the violent riots that occurred on Monday evening are now under the purview of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.
The Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley took place just two months after the tragic death of the group's founder, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, on a college campus in Utah. This event marked the final stop of a national college campus tour organized by the group following Kirk's passing. Despite the solemn backdrop, the event was sold out and drew significant attention.
On the night of the event, a group of mostly peaceful protesters gathered near the venue. However, tensions escalated, leading to scuffles between police and certain demonstrators, as captured in videos of the incident. Reports from CBS News Bay Area indicated that smoke bombs were thrown during the chaos. According to a statement from the Berkeley Police Department, two men were arrested on suspicion of public fighting. One individual was later released after it was revealed that he was attempting to recover a stolen chain.
In addition to these arrests, two others were taken into custody by campus police for not complying with directives, one being a current student and the other lacking any university affiliation. Tragically, a 45-year-old attendee of the event was struck by a glass bottle and transported to the hospital for treatment.
In response to the unrest, UC Berkeley issued a statement announcing a full investigation into the events of the evening. The university has committed to cooperating with federal authorities to identify any outside agitators who attempted to disrupt the Turning Point USA event. The university emphasized its stance against violence and intimidation, asserting that there is no place at UC Berkeley for actions that impede lawful expression or suppress free speech.
This incident is not an isolated one; UC Berkeley has a history of protests against conservative speakers. In 2017, a planned speech by right-wing activist Milo Yiannopoulos was canceled following intense protests that included property damage and fires. This pattern of unrest at the campus raises concerns about the ongoing challenges of hosting conservative events.
Harmeet Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the Justice Department, has indicated that her division will explore several serious concerns, particularly regarding campus and local security measures. Bondi's comments regarding the antifa movement reflect a broader concern, as she described antifa as an "existential threat" to the nation. In September, President Trump signed an executive order categorizing antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, instructing federal authorities to utilize all available resources to investigate and dismantle illegal activities associated with antifa.
Antifa, short for "anti-fascist," is a term used to describe a loosely organized movement of far-left and anarchist individuals. The Congressional Research Service has noted that antifa lacks a unifying structure or detailed ideology, characterizing it as a broadly defined movement advocating for anarchism, socialism, and communism.
In a notable development, last month, the Justice Department charged two men from Texas with allegedly providing material support to antifa. These charges were linked to their involvement in a violent attack on July Fourth at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Alvarado, which resulted in injuries to a federal officer. This incident marks the Justice Department's growing focus on antifa-related activities and the potential threats posed by such groups.