Gavin Newsom Goes Silent on Violent Left-Wing Protest Disrupting TPUSA Event at UC Berkeley [WATCH]

California Governor Gavin Newsom has not issued a public statement following a violent protest that erupted Monday night at the University of California, Berkeley, during a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event featuring actor Rob Schneider and author Frank Turek, as reported by Fox News.

The event, part of the “This is the Turning Point” tour, was held inside Zellerbach Hall and served as the final stop of the national series.

Left-wing agitators swarmed the venue, damaging property and clashing with attendees, prompting police intervention and multiple arrests.

According to The Daily Californian, four female UC Berkeley students between the ages of 20 and 22 were arrested and charged with felony vandalism. The publication did not release their names.

The UC Berkeley Police Department also confirmed the arrests of two men involved in the disturbances.

Christopher Joseph Benton, 48, who is not affiliated with the university, was taken into custody for trespassing, resisting or obstructing an officer, and being unlawfully present on campus — all misdemeanor offenses.

Another man, 22-year-old Jay Eduardo Maytorena, identified as a current or former student, was arrested for trespassing and resisting or obstructing an officer.

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In one of several viral clips from the scene, a Turning Point USA supporter was attacked by a man during the chaos. Police later confirmed the incident began as an attempted robbery.

“After speaking with the involved parties and corroborating information through open-source media footage, officers determined that one of the men—Jihad Dphrepaulezz (a 25-year-old Oakland man)—had stolen the other man’s chain from around his neck,” police said.

“The other man was attempting to get his chain back from Dphrepaulezz.”

Newsom, who is currently in Brazil for the COP 30 climate conference, has not commented on the incident. Fox News Digital reported that a request for comment from the governor’s office went unanswered.

Turning Point USA communications director Andrew Kolvet condemned the attacks in a statement posted on X. “Grateful this level of attention being paid to what happened to our students last night at UC Berkeley,” Kolvet wrote.

“No one attending a peaceful event should be subjected to the type of harassment and attacks we saw last night. The Antifa thugs who did this MUST be stopped.”

Grateful this level of attention being paid to what happened to our students last night at UC Berkeley @HarmeetKDhillon

No one attending a peaceful event should be subjected to the type of harassment and attacks we saw last night.

The Antifa thugs who did this MUST be stopped. https://t.co/dWHqSQjoFU

— Andrew Kolvet (@AndrewKolvet) November 12, 2025

The U.S. Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the violence. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced the probe on X, writing, “Mob assault and thuggish intimidation of attendees exercising their First Amendment rights are unacceptable.”

Mob assault and thuggish intimidation of attendees exercising their First Amendment rights are unacceptable.

The @CivilRights Division, under @AGPamBondi, is initiating a full investigation into the potential failures at UC Berkeley and any who enabled such violence. pic.twitter.com/k34eClLDyi

— AAGHarmeetDhillon (@AAGDhillon) November 11, 2025

The DOJ has ordered UC Berkeley to preserve all records related to campus security and preparations for the event.

In a statement to Fox News Digital, UC Berkeley condemned the violence and said it will cooperate with federal authorities.

“The University is conducting a full investigation and intends to fully cooperate with and assist any federal investigations and the FBI-led Joint Terrorism Task Force to identify the outside agitators responsible for attempting to disrupt last night’s TPUSA event,” the university said.

“UC Berkeley will take all appropriate steps to safeguard the right of every member of our community to speak and assemble freely.”

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