Federal authorities said Tuesday they are reviewing security and alleged violence surrounding a Turning Point USA event at the University of California, Berkeley, on November 10, 2025. The program, featuring Rob Schneider and Frank Turek, went forward as police made several arrests outside the venue.
Federal officials opened parallel inquiries after confrontations outside a Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley on Monday, November 10, 2025. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon said the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division is examining potential security failures, while Attorney General Pam Bondi announced a separate review by the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force. Both disclosures were made Tuesday on social media and confirmed in local reporting. (sfchronicle.com)
UC Berkeley and Berkeley police reported several arrests tied to the unrest. Two men were detained after a brawl near Zellerbach Hall; one of them—identified by police as 25-year-old Jihad Dphrepaulezz of Oakland—was later arrested on suspicion of robbery and battery after officers determined a chain had been snatched from the other man. Campus police also made additional arrests for failure to comply with orders. (sfchronicle.com)
Video from the scene captured a backfiring car that some attendees initially mistook for gunfire, contributing to confusion outside the venue, according to local coverage. Organizers and on-scene videos also described flares and fireworks among the crowd; Turning Point USA spokesman Andrew Kolvet alleged on X that protesters used “tear gas, fireworks, and glass bottles,” a claim not independently confirmed by police as of Tuesday. (sfchronicle.com)
Despite the confrontations, the event went on as scheduled inside Zellerbach Hall and drew a large audience, according to local outlets. Comedian Rob Schneider and Christian apologist Frank Turek headlined the program, which UC Berkeley officials said was hosted by a recognized student organization and supported under campus free-speech policies. “The campus fully supports the rights and ability of every single student organization to invite whatever speakers they wish,” spokesperson Dan Mogulof said, while pledging cooperation with federal inquiries. (ktvu.com)
The Berkeley stop was billed as the final event of TPUSA’s fall campus tour, which continued after the September 10 fatal shooting of group founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, according to multiple news accounts. (sfchronicle.com)
In announcing the terrorism task force review, Bondi referenced antifa’s alleged role in the unrest. Her comments came weeks after a September 22 executive order in which President Donald J. Trump designated antifa as a domestic terrorist organization, directing federal agencies to use applicable authorities against associated criminal activity. (sfchronicle.com)
What remains in dispute is the precise scale and source of the violence. Organizers and conservative media emphasized aggressive tactics by protesters; demonstration organizers countered that the protest was largely peaceful and said confrontations stemmed from “outside agitators.” The Justice Department and FBI have not released further details of their reviews. (sfchronicle.com)
