DOJ launches investigation into protests at Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley

The Justice Department has launched an investigation into violent protests at a Turning Point USA event Monday at the University of California, Berkeley. 

Attorney General Pam Bondi has attributed the violence to groups affiliated with the anti-right-wing political movement known as antifa.

"Antifa is an existential threat to our nation. The violent riots at UC Berkeley last night are under full investigation by the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force. We will continue to spare no expense unmasking all who commit and orchestrate acts of political violence," Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X on Tuesday.

"Under President Trump’s leadership, and pursuant to his Executive Order designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, the Department of Justice and our law-enforcement partners are dismantling violent networks that seek to intimidate Americans and suppress their free expression and First Amendment rights."

It did not appear as of Wednesday that any groups affiliated with  Antifa had claimed credit for the protests at the event.

Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet posted on X on Tuesday regarding the DOJ's probe, "Grateful this level of attention being paid to what happened to our students last night at UC Berkeley @HarmeetKDhillon. No one attending a peaceful event should be subjected to the type of harassment and attacks we saw last night. The Antifa thugs who did this MUST be stopped."

At least eight people were arrested during the event, which was the final stop on Turning Point USA's nationwide campus tour, Fox News reported.

Video shows police breaking up a fight between two men, one of whom appeared to have a bloody face, according to KTVU.

In a letter to UC Berkeley Police Chief Yogananda Pittman on Tuesday, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wrote, "The U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division has recently become aware of concerning incidents occurring on your campus at the University of California, Berkeley on or about November 10, 2025."

"Our office previously opened investigations of the University of California System for potential violations of Title VI and Title VII based on other events. We will determine whether the events of November 10 should also be included in those investigations," according to the letter.

"We are also determining whether recent events provide a basis for additional investigation of violations of federal rights, including, without limitation, violations of the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution."

The DOJ requested that UC Berkeley preserve all records related to security and campus preparation for the Turning Point USA event.

UC Berkeley told Fox News in a statement that it strongly condemned all violence and threats that may chill freedom of speech.

"The University is conducting a full investigation and intends to fully cooperate with and assist any federal investigations and the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force to identify the outside agitators responsible for attempting to disrupt last night’s TPUSA event," the statement said. "UC Berkeley will take all appropriate steps  to safeguard the right of every member of our community to speak and assemble freely."

UC Berkeley added that despite the chaos outside, the Turning Point event, which it said had more than 900 attendees, was uninterrupted.