The Center for American Liberty has sued the City of Berkeley, alleging officials withheld bodycam footage, tactical plans and dispatch logs from a violent Turning Point USA event at UC Berkeley in November 2025. Unsealed police emails describe officers having to "physically pull" brawlers apart as a hostile crowd interfered with arrests, with multiple officers injured and at least two arrests. CAL says the city offered only a nine‑page PDF in response to records requests; the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division has announced a review.
Berkeley Sued Over Alleged Withholding Of Police Bodycam Footage From Violent Rob Schneider Event
Police officers separate two men outside a Turning Point USA event at the University of California, Berkeley, on Nov. 10, 2025.(AP Images)
The Center for American Liberty (CAL) has filed suit against the City of Berkeley, alleging municipal officials improperly withheld police body‑worn camera video, tactical deployment plans and dispatch logs tied to a violent disturbance outside a Turning Point USA event at the University of California, Berkeley last November.
The complaint, filed under the California Public Records Act, says CAL repeatedly requested materials related to the Nov. 2025 appearance by comedian Rob Schneider and Christian author Dr. Frank Turek but received only a limited set of documents.
Comedian Rob Schneider speaks during a Turning Point USA event at Zellerbach Hall on the UC Berkeley campus in Berkeley, California, on Nov. 10, 2025.
What the Lawsuit Says
According to CAL, internal police emails unsealed as exhibits portray chaotic scenes outside the venue, with officers reporting they had to "physically pull" people apart while a what they described as a "hostile crowd" interfered with arrests. The documents say multiple officers were injured and at least two people were taken into custody.
"The Center for American Liberty has already taken action against Berkeley officials, and now we are going after the City itself to uncover what the police and city leadership did, or failed to do," CAL CEO Mark Trammell told Fox News Digital. "Conservative speakers and attendees were threatened, assaulted, and blocked from exercising their constitutional rights at the Turning Point USA event featuring Rob Schneider."
Eyewitness Accounts and Public Comments
Rob Schneider told Fox News Digital he heard what he believed was "a device that sounded like gunshots" during the disturbance. Schneider has publicly backed CAL’s legal efforts and criticized the local police response as "not as helpful as they could have been," calling for accountability.
Protesters hold signs outside a Turning Point USA event at the University of California, Berkeley, on Nov. 10, 2025, two months after founder Charlie Kirk was killed.
CAL alleges the city delayed production of records and attempted to close the matter by providing a nine‑page PDF of emails — a response the watchdog says is insufficient and does not include the requested bodycam footage or operational logs.
Federal Review And Public Reaction
The incident has drawn broader attention: the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division said it would look into the unrest. On social media, commentator Harmeet Dhillon wrote that "@CivilRights will investigate what happened here," raising concerns about campus and local security.
Fox News Digital contacted the City of Berkeley and the Berkeley Police Department for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
Note: This article has been revised to remove an earlier, inaccurate reference about unrelated events and to clarify statements and attributions where necessary.
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