UC Berkeley’s bloody protest of TPUSA allegedly funded by far-left nonprofit
In recent weeks, the political landscape in the United States has been marked by heightened tensions, particularly among activist groups opposing former President Donald Trump. A striking example of this was the #NoKings protests that took place last month in downtown Los Angeles, where demonstrators carried a banner proclaiming, “DEFEAT TRUMP’S FASCIST TAKEOVER. Stop ICE raids and deportations by any means necessary.” This rally was organized by a coalition known as “By Any Means Necessary” (BAMN), which has been identified as one of 266 groups involved in the protests, collectively boasting annual revenues of approximately $2.9 billion. The group re-emerged at a significant protest on the University of California, Berkeley campus, where tensions escalated into violence during a demonstration against a Turning Point USA event, resulting in several arrests.
The protests at Berkeley were premeditated, as evidenced by a flyer circulated beforehand that called for an end to the “Fascist Turning Point’s Youth-Oriented Campaign of Incitement to Violence.” This flyer included a QR code linking to BAMN’s website, illustrating the organized nature of these demonstrations. Notably, the metadata from documents associated with the protest revealed connections to the “United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund,” a nonprofit organization that BAMN claims as its affiliate. This connection raises critical questions about the use of nonprofit status to lend legitimacy to political activism, with critics asserting that such organizations may be exploiting their tax-exempt status to engage in activities that could be deemed as promoting violence and division.
The violent clash at Berkeley has prompted federal scrutiny, with Attorney General Pam Bondi and U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon launching an investigation to determine if the university’s response to the protests violated civil rights or free speech protections. The ongoing unrest highlights a broader trend of campus activism intersecting with political violence, as groups like BAMN leverage their nonprofit affiliations to organize protests that can quickly escalate into confrontations. The situation raises significant concerns about accountability, transparency, and the potential for foreign influence within these activist networks, especially as they align with international movements. As political tensions continue to rise, the implications of these protests extend beyond the streets of Berkeley, prompting a national dialogue about the boundaries of activism, free speech, and the responsibilities of nonprofit organizations in the current political climate.
Last month, a band of demonstrators marched across West Temple Street in
downtown Los Angeles
in the national anti-Trump #NoKings protests, carrying a banner that read: “DEFEAT TRUMP’S FASCIST TAKEOVER. Stop ICE raids and deportations by any means necessary.”
In one corner, four bold letters stood out: “BAMN,” an acronym for “By Any Means Necessary.” The rest of the banner spelled out clues to the group’s full name in smaller print: “Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, Integration and Immigration Rights and Fight for Equality By Any Means Necessary.”
That organization – one of 266 groups with combined annual revenues of $2.9 billion identified by Fox News Digital leading the #NoKings protests – would soon reappear at this week’s flashpoint on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley.
On Monday night, the group proudly broadcast videos on its Instagram channel of its leaders stoking an angry mob on the streets again, this time on the Berkeley campus, staging a protest that turned into a bloody brawl outside a
Turning Point USA
event, leading to the arrest of several people.
‘NO KINGS’ ORGANIZER DISCOURAGES VIOLENCE FOLLOWING COAST-TO-COAST ARRESTS
A flyer circulated before the demonstration urged participants to “End Fascist Turning Point’s Youth-Oriented Campaign of Incitement to Violence!” It announced a rally outside Zellerbach Hall an hour before doors opened for the event.
At first glance, the flyer appears like many other activist handouts. But its digital trail tells a deeper story.
A QR code printed on the flyer leads to a page on BAMN.com, a domain displayed on the #NoKings banner weeks earlier for the group, “By Any Means Necessary.” On the page, visitors could directly download a “PDF of flyer” and “PDF of poster.” Journalist Andy Ngo, the author of a book on far-left violence and the Antifa network, shared the flyer on social media, warning that “By Any Means Necessary” is a long-standing fixture within the chaotic ecosystem of groups associated with the “anti-fascist” movement.
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Fox News Digital examined the metadata embedded in both documents to follow the money on “By Any Means Necessary.” Each file was created on Nov. 9, a day before the protest, and both listed the “owner” as “ronald.cruz@ueaa.net.” The email domain, ueaa.net, links to a far-left Detroit-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, “United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund,” which “By Any Means Necessary” describes as its nonprofit “affiliate.” They act as a seamless entity at protests, from #NoKings to anti-Israel actions after the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas terrorists.
Ronald Cruz, a licensed attorney in California, is listed in state bar records as a counsel for “United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund.” Tax records show it has been federally tax-exempt since March 2022. Cruz didn’t return a request for comment.
What’s more, under a label for “Storage Used,” both documents note the files are “Owned by UEAA Legal Defense Fund.” By Any Means Necessary and the United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund didn’t respond to a request for comment.
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On its official “Donate” page, the leaders of “By Any Means Necessary” confirm the connection. They instruct visitors on how to make a
tax-deductible donation
, enthusiastically noting, “You can make a contribution to our 501(c)(3) affiliate, United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund (UEAALDF)! Money goes toward our legal cases and broader organizing and education.” With one click, visitors are directed to the “UEAALDF website” at “ueaa.net,” legitimizing the activist network under the guise of charity.
While the organization’s balance sheet is small, with reported tax-deductible “public support” totaling $99,348 over five years from 2018 through 2022, the most recent year available, the implications are significant.
As experts note, the case illustrates how organizations leverage nonprofit status to claim moral and legal legitimacy while allegedly fomenting organized street violence, sectarian division and communal hate, activities outside the boundaries of “charitable” purpose.
MILLIONS EXPECTED TO FLOOD STREETS AT ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTS TARGETING TRUMP ACROSS ALL 50 STATES
In the wake of the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk in September, President
Donald Trump
and Vice President JD Vance called for closer scrutiny of nonprofits that receive tax benefits while allegedly promoting political violence.
The convergence of tax-exempt organizations, campus unrest and politically motivated violence underscores an emerging challenge in the nonprofit sector. Groups like “By Any Means Necessary” allegedly exploit the credibility and financial protections of charitable status while acting as de facto political operatives, often in coordination with broader ideological movements like Students for Justice in Palestine, first established at UC Berkeley by Palestinian American academic Hatem Bazian.
The metadata and cross-linked digital trails for the
UC Berkeley protest
reveal a well-coordinated infrastructure beneath the seemingly spontaneous protests, raising questions about accountability, transparency and the weaponization of the tax code for political warfare.
ANTI-ISRAEL RADICALS FROM ‘GLOBAL INTIFADA’ MOVEMENT JOIN ‘NO KINGS’ PROTESTS
The contrast between “By Any Means Necessary” activists marching relatively peacefully in last month’s #NoKings protest and the violent clash their protests helped incite at UC Berkeley this week highlights how some groups exploit nonprofit status to appear charitable one day while allegedly fomenting chaos, sectarianism, hate and violence the next day.
The UC Berkeley protests also raise questions about malign foreign influence. On its “Affiliates” webpage, “By Any Means Necessary” includes a link to the website for the “International Trotskyist Committee for the Regeneration of the Fourth International,” which is organizing “militants” who support early 20th century Soviet communist leader Leon Trotsky and the rise of a global “revolutionary Marxism.” The committee includes the Revolutionary Workers League and the Revolutionary Internationalist League, both self-declared communist groups.
A flyer, “Victory to the Palestinian Struggle,” includes the logos for “By Any Means Necessary” and the communist groups.
The violence at Berkeley prompted Attorney General
Pam Bondi
and U.S. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon to open a federal anti-terrorism investigation into the agitation. In a letter to UC Berkeley administrators and the UC Berkeley police, Dhillon directed officials to preserve all records related to the protest as she investigated whether the university violated federal
civil rights
or free speech protections. She told Fox News host Laura Ingraham that the protesters exercised a “heckler’s veto” against Turning Point USA, and she would be investigating whether university officials and agitators conspired to deny political conservatives equal protection under the law.
In its most recent tax filing, “United for Equality and Affirmative Action” lists four officers: Shanta Driver, president and director; Mark Airgood, secretary and treasurer; Yvette Felarca, director; and Hoku Jeffrey, director. They didn’t return requests for comment.
One Instagram video featured a note across the front, noting, “BAMN National Organizer Hoku Jeffrey speaks out against Turning Point.” In the video, Jeffrey told the rally that he wanted the protesters to communicate to Turning Point USA attendees that “this is not a campus where they are welcome at.” “What Hitler got away with, Donald Trump and his fascist movement never can get away with,” he said.
Meanwhile, in its tax filing, the United for Equality and Affirmative Action Legal Defense Fund claims its “primary exempt purpose” is straightforward: “Further the Civil Rights movement; educate the public on civil rights; conduct research on civil rights matters.”
Its homepage features Instagram videos its leaders posted from the UC Berkeley protest. Its website is dominated by
anti-Israel protests
and calls for “Victory to the Palestinian Struggle!” It invites visitors to sign a petition to oppose a lawsuit against UC Berkeley and the University of California system for allegedly allowing
antisemitism against Jewish students
on their campuses.
It declares, “Defend the free speech and academic freedom for supporters of the Palestinian struggle!”
Eric
Eric is a seasoned journalist covering US Politics news.
