Protests at UC Berkeley Spark FBI Interest
A left-wing group that has faced law enforcement scrutiny for years incited a tumultuous protest against Turning Point USA (TPUSA) at the University of California, Berkeley, on Monday. The incident has now caught the attention of the FBI.
By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) issued a call to action across social media, urging supporters to gather against TPUSA’s event before attendees arrived. As the crowd grew, clashes erupted, leading to multiple arrests. BAMN members have a history of being detained at protests, and the FBI has previously investigated them; they even shared footage depicting a chaotic scene at the protest.
UC BERKELEY — Demonstrators blocked several exits at the TPUSA event, hurling accusations of “fascism” at attendees as they attempted to leave.
Reports indicate that several protesters were arrested. One individual allegedly stole a chain from a supporter of former President Donald Trump and tried to assault him. The identities of some of those arrested have not been disclosed.
BAMN, UC Berkeley, and the FBI did not respond to inquiries regarding the incident. According to Attorney General Pam Bondi, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is currently looking into the unrest in Berkeley.
The chaos follows a tragic event from two months ago, where TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a student discussion at Utah Valley University.
BAMN’s national organizer, Hoke Jeffrey, spoke to fellow protesters, claiming that TPUSA promotes racist and violent tactics to silence dissent. He emphasized the need for loud and defiant opposition to ensure attendees knew they were unwelcome on campus.
In light of the protests, TPUSA commentator Jack Posobiec asserted that BAMN must be monitored closely by law enforcement.
Heightened Surveillance
Though BAMN publicly states its opposition to violence, members frequently encounter legal trouble. The FBI noted BAMN in a 2002 document referencing a Michigan group “believed to be involved in terrorist activities” linked to protests in Ann Arbor. Activists from BAMN faced arrests for violent incidents during protests against the Ku Klux Klan in Michigan and California during the 1990s.
Notably, BAMN activist Yvette Felarca was arrested in 2016 following a violent confrontation with neo-Nazi demonstrators and subsequently convicted of unlawful assembly. Footage captured her engaging in a physical altercation with an opposing protester.
BAMN recently indicated that Felarca will take on a role as a “national organizer” starting July 2024.
Reports have surfaced regarding previous BAMN protests, hinting at a mixed history of peaceful and chaotic demonstrations. The FBI has also associated BAMN with “anarchist extremism” in a 2017 investigation but did not file any charges.
Justice Department officials recently suggested that BAMN’s protests are connected to the Antifa movement, which the previous administration labeled as a domestic terrorist organization. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon remarked that an investigation into whether the rights of conservative activists were infringed upon during the demonstration is underway.
She stated, “In America, we do not allow our citizens to be attacked by violent thugs and turn a blind eye.”
Bondi emphasized the commitment under the previous administration to dismantle networks of violence aimed at intimidation and suppression of free speech.
