Turning Point makes first return to Utah after Kirk taking pictures

Article content material

LOGAN, Utah — Thousands of supporters got here collectively to honor Charlie Kirk Tuesday evening as Turning Point USA’s faculty tour returned to Utah for the primary time since its founder was assassinated on a university campus within the state earlier this month.

Article content material

The cease, at Utah State University in Logan, is about two hours north of Utah Valley University, the place Kirk was killed Sept. 10 by a gunman who fired a single shot by the gang whereas Kirk was talking.

Article content material

Article content material

“If you expect a a funeral, in the event you got here to mourn the demise of America, the demise of masculinity and femininity, of religion, of reality, then you might be on the improper occasion. It’s not over. It is just not even shut,” mentioned conservative podcast host Alex Clark, who kicked off the occasion, which she described because the the group’s largest on campus tour.

“I’m not right here to eulogize Charlie Kirk,” she went on, however to “move the torch on to each single considered one of you.”

Hours earlier than the occasion, the Logan campus briefly evacuated a constructing after a “non-explosive” gadget was discovered and detonated by the bomb squad “out of an abundance of warning,” the varsity mentioned in an alert to college students. The constructing is secure, the varsity mentioned.

Article content material

Article content material

Authorities are investigating however the college doesn’t imagine the bundle was a menace or associated to the Turning Point occasion, college spokesperson Amanda DeRito advised the AP.

Security on the occasion was tight, with a heavy legislation enforcement presence surrounding the world, steel detectors and drones flying overhead. The faculty the place Kirk was killed lacked a number of key security measures and practices which have turn out to be commonplace at occasions across the nation, an Associated Press assessment has discovered.

The assassination of a high ally of President Donald Trump and a big determine in his Make America Great Again motion has galvanized conservatives, who’ve vowed to hold on Kirk’s mission of encouraging younger voters to embrace conservatism and transferring American politics additional proper. Kirk has been celebrated as a “martyr” by many on the appropriate, and Turning Point USA has seen tens of hundreds of requests to create new chapters in excessive faculties and faculties.

Article content material

Tuesday’s occasion, scheduled earlier than Kirk’s demise, showcased how Turning Point has been urgent ahead with out its influential chief, who headlined a lot of its occasions and drew crowds. The tour is headlined by a number of the largest conservative names, together with Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly and Glenn Beck.

Blame recreation

Tuesday’s occasion featured Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, Rep. Andy Biggs and former Rep. Jason Chaffetz in a panel that blamed the left for stoking rhetoric that led to the assassination, with Biggs saying it was “coming from one facet.”

Chaffetz was on the Sept. 10 occasion when Kirk was killed.

“It was scary since you didn’t know if there was going to be extra pictures fired,” he mentioned. “You didn’t know if that was the top.”

Article content material

Cox, who has been criticized as not conservative sufficient, was repeatedly booed and jeered by the gang, together with when he acknowledged that, “There are violent folks on the far proper.”

Still, he criticized the concept that speech equates to violence.

“You assume that then, as a result of somebody mentioned one thing that you just don’t like, that’s violence in the direction of me which justifies me being violent in the direction of this particular person for talking. And that’s precisely what occurred on this case, and that that could be a damaging thoughts virus in our society at the moment,’ he mentioned.

Attendees pay tribute

The college’s basketball stadium was stuffed with pink “MAGA” hats, chants of “USA,” and blaring nation music earlier than the occasion kicked off Tuesday. Volunteers handed out posters studying, “I’m Charlie Kirk” and “In honor of Charlie Kirk, that is the turning level.”

Article content material

Attendees mentioned they’d come to pay tribute to Kirk alongside others he’d impressed and to attempt to heal collectively.

“I really feel like the stress is tremendous excessive, particularly being in the identical state the place it occurred. But I’m tremendous excited for it,” mentioned Jada Chilton, from Salt Lake City. “It’s sort of simply therapeutic my soul sort of being that I truly get to return to a Turning Point occasion although the principle spirit of it isn’t right here.”

Chilton mentioned listening to Kirk on TV, in debates and on his podcast had been her “each day routine.” She’d purchased tickets to the occasion half-hour earlier than the assassination, which left her shattered.

“I used to be on the ground sobbing,” she mentioned.

She described Tuesday’s safety as “insane,” with officers on roofs, drones overhead and law enforcement officials “in every single place.”

Article content material

“It makes you are feeling extra snug, however it simply is unhappy and disappointing, truthfully, that we’ve to,” she mentioned.

Michelle Hlavaty from Logan, Utah, mentioned she purchased her ticket earlier than the assassination, and was heartened to see the tour happening. She’s been listening to Kirk’s podcast each day since 2016.

“I like that Charlie had that affect on so many individuals and so many individuals have come out of the woodwork and declared who they’re religiously,” she mentioned.

Widow says, ‘We have our marching orders’

Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has pledged to proceed the group’s work. She now oversees Turning Point and mentioned she is going to lead the group as her late husband meant, carefully following plans he laid out to her and to employees.

“We’re not going anyplace. We have the blueprints. We have our marching orders,” she mentioned final week on Kirk’s podcast, which she additionally vowed would proceed with rotating hosts and many years of clips of her husband.

“My husband’s voice will dwell on,” she mentioned.

Article content material