Charlie Kirk’s memorial turned into counterprotests

After the death of the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, members of the Texas State community gathered at The Stallions to memorialize him on Sept. 15.

Kirk was shot on Wednesday, Sept. 10, at Utah Valley University during a college event that he was hosting. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called it a “political assassination.”

Texas State’s Turning Point USA president (TPUSA) and political science junior, Leona Salinas, organized a memorial for Kirk, intending for the group to quietly stand with signs and create a spot to place flowers.

As the Kirk memorial progressed throughout the day, counter-protestors joined TPUSA at The Stallions with signs about Tom Alter’s termination, Palestine and the Evergreen High School shooting.

“You couldn’t pay me any sum of money to kill or hurt physically any person that I disagree with in any way,” Salinas said. “The fact that we can’t even get to a middle ground of saying ‘Hey, it’s not okay to kill someone,’ I think that’s a disgusting reality that we live in and a disgusting reaction that we’re getting.”

Salinas said only three official members of TPUSA were present at the memorial; the rest of the five students standing alongside TPUSA just showed up and joined. It initially began as a gathering of a few students, but it periodically gathered large crowds of onlookers.

“You can’t kill someone and silence the movement,” Salinas said.

Throughout the memorial, there was booing and chants such as “Save the kids,” and “USA,” within the crowd. Spectators were also discussing Kirk and political topics with TPUSA members.

According to Salinas, people from the crowd tore up her sign stating “Charlie Kirk is this Gen’s MLK” repeatedly, inciting hateful speech and slurs, as well as spitting at students holding Kirk signs.

Salinas said after her original sign was torn up, students kept remaking it on their own accord.

“It was honestly really easy to respond with love and respect to counter protesters, because at the end of the day, we are people, and we are called to love no matter what,” vice president of TPUSA, exercise and sport science senior, Sara Hassel said.

Hassel said she told people at the memorial that TPUSA’s only intention was to memorialize Kirk, not to debate.

In the middle of the memorial, a spectator got onto the center of the Stallions and reenacted Kirk’s death, then went on to spit near Kirk’s memorial as the spectator got down.