The U.S. Department of Justice has opened investigations into violent protests at a Turning Point USA event at the University of California, Berkeley, that left several people arrested.
The U.S. Department of Justice has launched anti-terrorism and civil rights investigations into violent protests that disrupted a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event at the University of California, Berkeley, according to a report from THE WASHINGTON TIMES.
The FBI is investigating the Monday riot where hundreds of protesters clashed with police, leading to at least three arrests. Attorney General Pam Bondi partly blamed the chaos on Antifa, calling it “an existential threat to our nation.” She confirmed that the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force is handling the probe.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said her division will assess whether Berkeley and local police failed to protect attendees. “They seem to be completely unprepared,” she told Fox News.
University official Dan Mogulof said Berkeley will “fully cooperate” with federal authorities and blamed “outside agitators” for the unrest. Two of the arrested suspects were nonstudents, while one student was cited and released.
The incident occurred during the final stop of TPUSA’s “This Is Turning Point” tour, attended by Vice President J.D. Vance. Dhillon said nearly half of the 2,000 ticket holders skipped due to intimidation by protesters.
Berkeley has faced repeated free-speech controversies involving conservative speakers, despite a 2018 settlement meant to protect such events.