University of California, Berkeley – Turning Point USA Event

Summary

Turning Point USA, a conservative student advocacy organization founded by Charlie Kirk who had been assassinated on a college campus two months earlier, held the final stop of its nationwide campus tour on November 10 2025 at the University of California Berkeley. The university reported that more than 900 people attended the event inside while hundreds of protestors gathered outside on the campus plaza. Tensions escalated quickly. Early that morning four students were arrested for vandalism. During the event a fight broke out involving a vendor who appeared with a bloody face after a dispute over a stolen chain necklace. Police intervened to separate individuals who were scuffling and made additional arrests for assault, theft, and public disturbance. University officials stated that the event inside proceeded without disruption and said that outside agitators contributed to the violent incidents.

In the days following the unrest the US Department of Justice announced an investigation into UC Berkeley and the city of Berkeley for their handling of the event and campus security. The inquiry, led by the FBI and the DOJ Civil Rights Division, examined whether students First and Fourteenth Amendment rights had been infringed. Federal officials expressed concern about campus security and cited reports regarding the role of antifa in the disturbances. The university stated that it would fully cooperate with authorities while condemning violence and intimidation and emphasized that much of the disruption came from individuals who were not affiliated with the campus.

On November 25 2025 the US Department of Education began a separate review of UC Berkeley for potential violations of the Jeanne Clery Act. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the Department was reviewing the university to ensure that it had procedures in place to uphold campus safety and security and to guarantee that students could safely participate in educational programs. The Department requested a broad set of documents including crime logs, safety reports, timely warnings, security contracts, and a post event assessment. UC Berkeley had previously resolved a Clery Act investigation in 2020 after federal officials identified major reporting issues. The review focused on whether the university maintained adequate procedures to protect students during large events and whether it provided accurate and transparent reporting of incidents that occurred on campus.

The university released a public statement reaffirming its commitments to free speech and described the extensive security measures taken before and during the November 10 event. These included the deployment of campus police supported by outside law enforcement agencies, the use of private security, and temporary closures of nearby buildings. Officials said these measures ensured that the event proceeded without interruption inside the venue while acknowledging that confrontations occurred outside. They emphasized that UC Berkeley would continue to support the ability of invited speakers to appear on campus and the ability of students to express dissent within the law.