On Nov. 10, 2025, protests outside a sold-out Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall devolved into violence, prompting a federal investigation announced the next day. Police say a 25-year-old protester, Jihad Dphrepaulezz, was arrested and later charged with assault and robbery after allegedly snatching a necklace from a TPUSA supporter, triggering a bloody fight; the supporter was initially detained and then released.
The Department of Justice, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, said the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Civil Rights Division would review the incident and the adequacy of campus security; Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon flagged potential civil-rights concerns tied to violent intimidation of attendees. Berkeley officials reported multiple arrests around the event, with counts varying by agency report (at least three to four), and noted additional injuries from thrown objects, fireworks, and brawls outside the venue, while the program inside concluded without disruption.
The clash came two months after TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination and revived memories of Berkeley’s 2017 unrest that led to litigation and a settlement over security rules for conservative speakers. Federal posture has also hardened since September, when President Trump signed an executive order purporting to designate “antifa” a domestic terrorist organization.
