Turning Point USA: Department of Justice investigating protests at UC Berkeley during tour finale

BERKELEY, Calif. (KGO) — UC Berkeley’s campus was quiet in observance of Veterans Day on Tuesday, but tensions lingered from the night before. The U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights division is now looking into the Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley Monday night and subsequent protests.

The TPUSA event was the final stop of the conservative organization’s nationwide tour. Hundreds of demonstrators showed up hours before door’s open. UC Berkeley and Berkeley police confirm three people were arrested, including one student who was cited and released. Another suspect was charged with trespassing and obstruction.

ABC7 News cameras captured two people being taken into custody during the protests. Witnesses said one man, who appeared bloodied, was assaulted while selling Turning Point USA merchandise. Police later identified him as a victim and released him. The other man was charged with robbery and battery.

Federal officials said the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division will examine whether the university violated free speech or anti-discrimination laws. In a letter sent to campus leaders, the department referenced a 2018 settlement and requested records, communications and security details related to the Nov. 10 incident.

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Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon posted on X, formerly Twitter, that the DOJ “will investigate what happened here,” citing concerns about campus safety and the alleged presence of Antifa.

UC Berkeley Students Organizing for Liberation, which the university says is not a registered student group, issued a statement thanking attendees and denying that Antifa was involved.

Sage Plaisted, a UC Berkeley senior did not attend the protest and felt that aftermath focused too much on the tense moments and not enough on why demonstrators rallied in the first place. She wants to hear from the students and protestors who were there.

“UC Berkeley has been the home of free speech for a really long time,” Plaisted said. “I personally think what Turning Point says is hate speech. I don’t feel comfortable having them on campus.”

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John Paul Leon, president of the UC Berkeley Turning Point chapter, acknowledged that most protesters were peaceful but said the violence was unacceptable.

“There’s only a handful of incidents,” Leon said. “But a handful of incidents is too many.”

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UC Berkeley issued this statement Tuesday afternoon:

UC Berkeley condemns all violence and will hold accountable anyone who violates the law or campus regulations. The University is firmly committed to an open and robust marketplace of ideas and to maintaining a campus where people of all beliefs and perspectives can feel safe and respected.

There is no place at UC Berkeley for attempts to use violence or intimidation to prevent lawful expression or chill free 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. UC Berkeley will take all appropriate steps to safeguard the right of every member of our community to speak and assemble freely.

Thanks to the dedication and cooperation of numerous University, state, and local police officers, the efforts to prevent last night’s event did not succeed. Instead, the TPUSA event proceeded safely and without interruption, with more than 900 participants in attendance. Several arrests were made in connection with the event by both city and university police. UC Berkeley appreciates and commends the officers and staff who helped preserve both public safety and freedom of speech on our campus. The University remains steadfast in its commitment to uphold open dialogue, respect, and the rule of law.