Turning Point USA plans to hold a memorial for its founder Charlie Kirk, on the campus where he was shot dead a year ago, an event that Utah Valley University has agreed to host despite objections from a group of students who argue the university should not be handing its campus over to the organisation on such a sensitive date.
The memorial, called the Freedom Built to Last Memorial, is scheduled for Thursday, September 10, exactly one year since Kirk was killed while speaking with a student on the Orem campus, according to multiple media outlets.
What Is Turning Point USA Planning At UVU?
According to a press release from the organisation, Turning Point USA will hold the memorial at the UCCU Center on UVU’s campus at 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time, describing it as a deliberate act of remembrance and a call for students and supporters to continue Kirk’s work. The event, which will be livestreamed on the organisation’s social media channels, is set to feature speeches from radio host Glenn Beck, Christian author Frank Turek and Turning Point USA officials, honouring Kirk as what the group called a faith-filled husband, father and defender of free speech.
Why Has UVU Closed Campus For The Anniversary?
Utah Valley University has cancelled classes for the day entirely, a decision communicated to staff and students in an email last month from the university’s then-interim president, Wayne Vaught, who said the closure was intended to provide time and space for reflection, service and connection. Current UVU president Jon Anderson reiterated that message in a further email sent to the campus community, saying he hoped the day would allow people space for healing or reflection on their own terms, while pointing students, faculty and staff towards available support resources.
Why Are Some Students Upset About The Memorial?
A left-leaning student organisation, UVU’s chapter of Students for a Democratic Society, has been circulating an open letter to the university’s administration calling for the Turning Point USA event to be cancelled, and has organised a protest to coincide with the memorial. The letter states that the group strongly condemns the decision to hand over the campus to Turning Point USA, arguing that many students will be further affected by the organisation occupying the campus on that particular day.
The letter also accuses the organisation of being openly racist and antagonistic and of leaning on a narrative of victimhood, while separately alleging that university president Jon Anderson has aligned himself with Turning Point USA’s interests by permitting the event to go ahead. According to local broadcaster KUTV, members of the student group held a de-escalation training session ahead of the protest, preparing signs carrying messages including calls for unity rather than division on campus.
How Has UVU’s President Defended The Decision?
Anderson has pushed back on criticism of the university’s handling of the event, stressing that Turning Point USA is not being given any special treatment. “As an institution, it’s important that we stay apolitical, that we don’t jump in the fray,” he said, according to the Salt Lake Tribune, adding that any group could have booked the venue for that date and Turning Point USA simply chose to do so.
Anderson also made clear the memorial is not sponsored by the university itself, though UVU will provide security for the event given its expected size and the potential for confrontation between attendees and protesters.
What Is Happening With The Murder Case Against Tyler Robinson?
The anniversary comes as the criminal case against Tyler Robinson, the 23-year-old accused of shooting Kirk, continues to move through the Utah courts. A judge ruled last week that Robinson can stand trial on charges of aggravated murder along with six other counts, keeping open the possibility of the death penalty should he be convicted.
Robinson has pleaded not guilty to all charges. With the trial still pending, Thursday’s memorial is expected to draw significant attention both to Kirk’s legacy and to the wider debate over how a campus scarred by violence should mark the anniversary of that loss.
