The Department of Justice is investigating the violent protests that erupted at a Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley on Monday night.
Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X that “Antifa is an existential threat to our nation,” adding, “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.”
The event, which concluded the “This is the Turning Point” tour, saw protesters set off fireworks and tear gas and attempt to tear down barriers. Some demonstrators mocked the death of Charlie Kirk and called attendees Nazis and fascists. At least three people were arrested during the incident.
Harmeet Dhillon, DOJ assistant attorney general for civil rights, also posted on X, saying, “Mob assault and thuggish intimidation of attendees exercising their First Amendment rights are unacceptable.” She noted that under the Civil Rights Division, Bondi is “initiating a full investigation into the potential failures at UC Berkeley and any who enabled such violence.”
Dhillon shared a copy of a letter from Bondi to UC Berkeley President James Milliken and the University of California Board of Regents, requesting the university preserve “all records … relevant to the school’s preparation, execution, and response” to the event.
“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 US Constitution,” the letter stated.
The investigation comes as President Trump signed an order in September designating Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization.
