The U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) has launched a focused review of the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley). This action follows what has been described by the department as a violent protest that occurred during a Turning Point USA event on November 10.
The review aims to determine whether UC Berkeley violated the Jeanne Clery Campus Safety Act, which mandates higher education institutions meet specific safety and security requirements to receive federal student aid.
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“Just two months after Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was brutally assassinated on a college campus, UC Berkeley allowed a protest of a Turning Point USA event on its grounds to turn unruly and violent, jeopardizing the safety of its students and staff,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon in a statement. “This is not about students’ First Amendment rights to protest peacefully. This is about ensuring accurate and transparent reporting of crime statistics to the campus community and guaranteeing that every student can safely participate in educational programs and activities.”
3 People Arrested at Protest, Leading to Federal Investigation of UC Berkeley
The protests led to the arrest of at least three individuals. Among those, one student was released after being cited, while another person faced charges of trespassing and obstruction. A man seen in custody with a bloodied face was later identified as a victim and released, reports KGO. Witnesses reported that he was assaulted while attempting to sell Turning Point merchandise. Another individual was charged with robbery and battery.
The president of Turning Point’s UC Berkeley chapter condemned the violence but acknowledged most protests on November 10 were peaceful, reports CNN.
Bondi, Dhillon Blame Antifa; Campus Conducting Its Own Inquiry
Attorney General Pam Bondi and Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon described the protests as violent and pointed to Antifa, a movement labeled as a domestic terrorist organization by President Donald Trump, as being responsible. Notably, the Department of Justice recently initiated its first federal terrorism case against alleged Antifa-aligned operatives.
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UC Berkeley is also conducting its own investigation. Dan Mogulof, a spokesperson for the university, stated that they would cooperate fully with federal authorities “to identify the outside agitators responsible for attempting to disrupt last night’s TPUSA event.” Mogulof emphasized, “There is no place at UC Berkeley for attempts to use violence or intimidation to prevent lawful expression or chill free speech.”
The school said more than 900 people attended the Turning Point USA event, however, Cal Matters reports that many of them were older and were not college-aged students.
The UC Police Department, private security, and law enforcement from Alameda County and San Francisco were on campus to maintain order. Bags, food, beverages, signs and flags were prohibited and the protestors’ activities were closely monitored.