fatal Shooting Charlie Kirk Tensions over freedom of speech at the university were at the center of a Utah event, with conservatives including President Trump saying campuses are intolerant of right-wing speakers and ideas.
Kirk is widely praised by Trump Ally for revitalizing the Republican movement among college students. Utah Valley University When he was shot in the neck. The event is similar to dozens of events he has held over the years, including at UCLA, USC and Cal State Campuses. Kirk usually sits under the tent of debate attendees who raise right-wing challenges to immigration, gender identity, criminal policy, Israel-Palestine conflict, abortion and other hot ass topics.
As a conservative provocateur, his style and beliefs often sparked protests on campus and petitions from freelance students and faculty to cancel his appearance. Events in Utah are no exception. An open letter before the engagement asked the university to “[re-evaluate] The decision to allow Charlie Kirk to speak “because he opposes “inclusiveness and solidarity.”
But Utah Valley University leaders say they want the campus to be a “free, vibrant and civil-exchange idea (popular or controversial idea)” and “free expression thrives with all voices respected.” They said the university “has not taken a formal position on political, social or cultural controversy.”
The shooting happened last year when universities faced severe influence from the Trump administration and protested during the widespread protests last year. At the time, university leaders worked hard under the campus code of conduct to draw the line between freedom of speech and unacceptable behavior. Trump accuses universities of intolerant of conservative philosophy and has put forward broad demands on more conservative faculty members.
In Wednesday’s statement and interviews, politicians, activists and university conservatives called for more tolerance for right-wing speeches in colleges. In recent years, guests invited by Republican clubs or chapters The turning point of the United States – Kirk-led groups often incite protests on campuses across the country, canceling incidents and threats.
“Historically, our university campuses in this country and in Utah have been a place to express and debate truth and thought. That’s what he did.” Republican Utah Governor Spencer Cox said he called the shooting a “political assassination.”
The Sagittarius’s hunters continued on Wednesday night.
“We should be deeply troubled when anyone chooses to be silent with violence,” Kamy Akhavan, managing director of the Center for Political Futures at USC Dornsife Center, said in an email.
He said universities need to have well-known liberals and conservative speakers to challenge students’ ideology.
“Today, many of our education systems are free from discussions about current affairs and politics because they are afraid of institutional, external and even personal retribution,” Akawan said. “We have already communicated the most important things awful because we just don’t talk about them.”
Kirk’s death prompted campus liberals to influx in addition to Republican youth.
“We convey our thoughts and prayers to his loved ones. We join many in mourning his death and condemning political and gun violence,” the American Academy Democrat said in a statement Wednesday.
“The campus must be a place to answer arguments with better arguments, not bullets,” said the U.S. university Republican. The university chapter is scheduled to hold a vigil on Thursday.
“The university Republican movement is not stopped by this motivation at all,” said Martin Bertao, the group’s national president and a junior at the University of California, Berkeley. “We will be bold.” Berto said he felt that college students had a “crusade” to “silence those they disagree with.”
Investigation finds more objections to campus speeches
A national investigation released the day before the shooting brought the view of Acavan and Beto to the attention of both Acavan and Beto.
The poll was conducted by the Free Speech Monitoring Group Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and College Pulsemost students found to have a lower tolerance for controversial ideas.
One-third of students also said it is acceptable to stop speaking on campus “very rare”.
“The atmosphere is not only cautious – it is hostile. Students continue to show low tolerance for controversial speakers, and it is difficult to believe that it is acceptable to yell at the speakers, to block opportunities for events, and even to resort to violence in campus speeches at any time before.”
Mary Corey, a senior lecturer in the Department of History at UCLA, who studies social movements and popular culture in the United States, said Kirk’s death disturbed her.
“I hope this didn’t happen – it made me cringe, it made me upset, it made me even more scared,” Cory said.
Kirk visits the University of California regularly
Since he co-founded the American Turn Point with others 12 years ago, Kirk’s organization has grown to over 3,500 chapters nationwide, many of which are on university campuses. Before his death, Kirk’s “Prove Me I’m the Wrong Table” journey was scheduled to continue at Colorado State University, from Minnesota to Virginia’s more than a dozen campuses.
In March, he appeared at USC and California State University North Shore, where the promoters distributed “Make America Great Again” and “47” hats in support of Trump. In these events, Kirk challenged diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and affirmative action.
According to a report, Kirk told hundreds of people at USC: “By definition, affirmative action will make quotas accepted or employed based types higher than quotas for excellence.” Annenberg Media. “We believe that only strengths can matter only when you accept a college admission, or when you hire a company that shouldn’t be related to this admission.”
His debates with students are often spread on Instagram and Tiktok. Opponents criticized Kirk, saying he argued with young people (some teenagers) rather than his peers. Kirk said his role is to encourage critical thinking against the trend of dominating campus liberalism.
Kirk spoke with hundreds of people at San Diego on May 1 and over 1,000 attendees spoke on Cal State Long Beach in a red Maga shirt and hat on May 5. Both incidents caused minor protests and conflicts, but no major violence, according to campus news.
He debated topics including abortion rights and support for Israel when he appeared at UC Riverside on May 9. According to the Cook Protest, the punk rock performance was shut down for violating campus policies. Highlanders run by students newspaper.
Conservative campus visitors face challenges
Conservatives have long faced a campus fightback in California.
In 2017, during Trump’s first semester, the emergence of right-wing personality Milo Yiannopoulos sparked violent protests Close Event at UC Davis and UC Berkeley.
The following year, the Bruin Republican Group canceled the Yiannopoulos event at UCLA, titled “10 Things I Hate Mexico.” The organization said it canceled engagement because it “polarizes the organization’s leadership.” Ukrainian Prime Minister Gene Baker said he was happy because the theme “violated our values.”
Over the years, his activities on his California campus (which includes UCLA and UC Santa Barbara), Ben Shapiro was another popular conservative media figure for years. However, participation has not been cancelled, including an October 2024 speech at UCLA that prompted additional security.
Safety is also a concern for Kirk’s Utah event. According to the initial report, campus police deployed six police officers. Kirk also has his own security details. At least 3,000 people gathered among the four in the outdoor bowl-style courtyard. It is believed that the shooter aimed Kirk from the roof of the building.
Eli Tsives, a pro-Israeli student activist at UCLA, attended Kirk in 2023, saying he mourned Kirk, whose death he said would inspire student conservatives to speak out on campus.
“We’re going to be bigger and more outspoken,” Tsives said. “We’re going to do this for him because that’s what he’s committed to his life.”
