FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force Investigating ‘Violent Riots’ Outside TPUSA Event
The Department of Justice has opened a full investigation into violent demonstrations that erupted outside a Turning Point USA event at the University of California, Berkeley, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Tuesday. Bondi said the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which handles both domestic and international terrorism, is leading the probe into what she called “violent riots” organized by Antifa.
At least two people detained after violence breaks out at a #TurningPointUSA event at #ucberkeley Our crews say tensions are growing as the number of protesters grow #ktvu pic.twitter.com/r8YuYvcqgr
— Claudine Wong (@ClaudineKTVU) November 11, 2025
Bondi charged that leftist agitators showed up hours before the TPUSA event and harassed conservative attendees as they lined up. Two people were arrested after a fistfight broke out, and two others were detained for trying to breach a police barrier. Some protesters were seen lighting flares and shouting at attendees, authorities said.
The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is also reviewing the incidents, Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said. Dhillon said the episode echoed past clashes at Berkeley and raised serious questions about campus and local security and the ability of violent groups to operate with impunity.
Bondi tied the investigation to the administration’s broader effort to dismantle violent networks, noting President Trump’s September designation of Antifa as a domestic terrorist organization. “We will continue to spare no expense unmasking all who commit and orchestrate acts of political violence,” she said in a post on X.
UC Berkeley currently looks like a war zone.
An ANTIFA member just lit off a flare resulting in TPUSA event attendees being rushed inside.
A car then comes and starts backfiring visibly scaring multiple attendees who feared they were hearing gunshots. @TPUSA | @Savsays pic.twitter.com/u3mG8rJDSx
— FRONTLINES TPUSA (@FrontlinesTPUSA) November 11, 2025
Despite the unrest outside, the TPUSA event went forward as planned. The stop was the final leg of the “This is the Turning Point” tour, which began after TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10. Organizers said the Berkeley stop concluded the tour without further incident inside the venue.
Local police and university officials are cooperating with federal investigators as the JTTF examines video, social media posts, and witness accounts. Authorities have not yet released the names of those arrested pending further investigation. The DOJ said it will pursue all leads to identify those responsible and hold them accountable.