Utah Valley University is shutting down on Thursday as conservatives hold a memorial service for activist Charlie Kirk, one year after his assassination on campus.
Turning Point USA, the group founded by Kirk, is holding the “Freedom Built to Last” event, where conservative commentators Glenn Beck and Frank Turek are scheduled to speak.
“The gathering will honor Charlie as a faith-filled husband, father, and defender of free speech with a memorial that serves as a deliberate act of remembrance and a call for students and supporters to continue his life’s work,” Turning Point said in a statement.
Students for a Democratic Society, a college club, plans to hold a counter-demonstration outside the memorial on Thursday.
Kirk was killed at age 31 while holding an “American Comeback Tour” event, by a sniper positioned on a rooftop more than 400 feet away.
Tyler James Robinson, then 22, was arrested for the assassination after a manhunt lasting more than 30 hours.
The university, located in Orem, Utah, is shutting down the campus and canceling classes for the day to allow for “time and space” as well as “reflection.”
SDS club member Collin Grannis said regarding the planned protests, “We want to oppose bigotry, and we want to oppose right-wing ideology on campus. That’s our main push,” per 2KUTV, a local CBS affiliate.
“We will protest in solidarity with each other and demand that the views of Charlie Kirk are not on campus,” read a flyer posted by the club.
Mr. Beck responded to the news of the protest on his show.
“What is wrong with you?” he said. “A guy was shot on your campus. Some people would like to gather and have a memorial for him on the one-year anniversary. Can you let them have a day?”
Kirk was a close ally of President Trump, and his organization supported the 2024 Trump campaign.
After his death, his widow, Erika Kirk, became the CEO and chairwoman of Turning Point.
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