Attorney General Pam Bondi is seen during a swearing in ceremony for Sergio Gor, the new U.S. ambassador to India, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Monday. She said her office will investigate demonstrations at UC Berkeley during a Turning Point USA event. Photo by Craig Hudson/UPI | License Photo
The Justice Department said it plans to investigate protests at the University of California’s Berkeley campus during an event by the conservative group Turning Point USA founded by the late Charlie Kirk.
Attorney General Pam Bondi, in a post on X on Tuesday, described the demonstrations at the campus as “violent riots” and the participants as “antifa.”
“The violent riots at UC Berkeley last night are under full investigation by the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force,” Bondi said. “We will continue to spare no expense unmasking all who commit and orchestrate acts of political violence.”
University spokesman Dan Mogulof said there was “a single violent incident” between two men fighting each other. The San Francisco Gate reported the fight broke out after one of the men accused the other of stealing a chain.
Police said the man whose chain was allegedly stolen was released from custody, while the other, Jihad Dphrepaulezz, was charged with robbery and battery.
The Gate said two other men — one with no association with the university — were also arrested for allegedly resisting, delaying or obstructing a police officer for refusing orders to leave an area. The New York Times, citing Mogulof, described these two incidents as “minor, nonviolent infractions.”
CBS News reported one man was hit in the head by a glass bottle at the event and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
A statement from UC Berkeley said school officials were “conducting a full investigation” into the event and to help “identify the outside agitators responsible for attempting to disrupt last night’s TPUSA event.”
“There is no place at UC Berkeley for attempts to use violence or intimidation to prevent lawful expression or chill free speech.”
Students gathered Monday night at Zellerbach Hall for Turning Point USA’s final stop on a tour of colleges originally headlined by Kirk. Kirk was killed by a sniper’s bullet at one of the tour stops Sept. 10 at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.
Supporters of Kirk and Turning Point USA attended Monday’s event, which featured actor Rob Schneider and author Frank Turek. Demonstrators organized by several groups on campus, including Students Organizing for Liberation at UC Berkeley and Jewish Voices for Peace and Students for Socialism, gathered for what CBS News described as a “mostly peaceful” protest against Turning Point. Demonstrators took issue with the organization’s beliefs.
Protester Andrew Simmalaychanh told KPIX-TV in San Francisco said it was important for people to stay at the event despite smoke bombs thrown amid the crowd.
“To get out here and to be in the community and to really advocate for the values that we hold as an institution, to hold ourselves accountable and to be here and show up to protect the rights of so many people and fight against hatred and bigotry,” Simmalaychanh said of his reasonings for attending.
Charlie Kirk memorial service held in Arizona
Erika Kirk, widow of conservative political activist and media personality Charlie Kirk, speaks during his memorial service at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on September 21, 2025. Charlie Kirk was assassinated at Utah Valley University while speaking at an event on campus on September 10. Photo by Eduardo Barraza/UPI | License Photo
