On Thursday, September 18th, the Ursinus College Republicans Club held a “celebration of life” for conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot at an event on September 10th. However, the memorial was also attended by several protesters who opposed the screening of Kirk’s videos at the event.
The recent assassination of Charlie Kirk and its subsequent aftermath added another chapter in America’s divided political story. Kirk was the founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative organization whose stated mission is “to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of fiscal responsibility, free markets, and limited government.” He was known for his debate-oriented content, where he would visit various colleges and debate students on a range of political topics. While popular, Kirk was controversial in his rhetoric, particularly towards minorities, women, and immigrants.
In response to his death, the Ursinus College Republicans Club announced on September 16th that they would be hosting a “Celebration of Life” for Kirk two days later, fit with “snacks and light refreshments, and the streaming of some of Charlie Kirk’s videos,” in the Bears’ Den. At the time of the event, a group of protesters gathered both inside and outside the Bear’s Den. As part of their protests, which included a “vow of silence,” the protesters handed out pamphlets that read: We are sitting silently in opposition to the Republican Club, showing videos of Charlie Kirk, as the videos promote his hate and bigotry. While we do not oppose a vigil, we are here to peacefully demonstrate that his views are not supported by the full student body. The pamphlet also included a list of resources for identity wellness.
When asked about his intentions after the event, Luke Peloquin ‘26, a protester, stated that the protesters had no problems with the memorial itself. “The memorial absolutely should have been allowed. Those who read our pamphlets would have known that we were not protesting the celebration of life, but the screening of Kirk’s rhetoric. I may disagree with Kirk’s beliefs, but political violence has no place in a functioning democracy.”
When asked why he decided to protest, Peloquin responded, “I decided to protest the event because of the screening of Kirk’s videos. Myself and other minority students are dishonored by his thinking, rhetoric, and anger. I’m open to the discussion on whether his dishonorable rhetoric can be honored. I understand that many valued Kirk for his frank understanding of the First Amendment. It seems to me that he would have been horrified by the restriction of First Amendment freedoms by the Trump Administration in response to his murder.”
Another protester, who requested anonymity, shared similar sentiments with the other protesters that the screenings of his videos were the focus of the protests and acknowledged potential arguments against their protests. In a statement, they said: “I specifically wanted to oppose the showing and one-sided celebration of his videos. By being a dissenting presence, I hoped to add to the conversation about Kirk’s impact, not shut it down. I also want to acknowledge that Kirk’s legacy is complex, and that (partially due to social media algorithms) I think many people only know a small piece of what he advocated for. If all I knew of Kirk was that he wanted to engage in constructive dialogue and build bridges between people, I, too, would celebrate that work. His movement to challenge the status quo and force dialogue about pressing topics may be admirable on its surface, but the reality is that his work involved harassment and intimidation much more than sincere conversations.”
Gabriel Glassic ‘27, the President of the UC Republicans, said he welcomed the protesters. “I’m a 100% advocate for freedom of speech,” Glassic stated. “They are welcome to do whatever they like. So are we. That’s the beauty of democracy and everything Charlie Kirk stood for.” Despite the protests, Glassic has remained steadfast in his beliefs in open conversation and discussion. “We should talk more about our differences,” he said. “We should have more open conversation and dialogue. We do live in a democratic country, so that is what I will say about that.”
Another unnamed UC Republican voiced similar sentiments. “We decided to put [the celebration of life] together because I saw Charlie Kirk was shot, killed, and we thought it was bad. We thought we needed something to unite people and see who would stand up for what’s right. And we got a lot of people in there, which is great.”
While attendance for the event fluctuated throughout its duration, it is worth mentioning that at the time of The Grizzly’s observation, most of the people surrounding the event were protesters (of the thirty-five individuals that were present at the time of our count, there were twelve protesters inside the room and nine outside).
When asked whether he had any fears, they stated, “Yeah, of course. I mean, we’re not scared, though, but I mean, I’m sure you saw some of the Yik Yak messages.” The Yik Yak messages in question are posts stating that some UC Republicans should get the “G.I. Robot treatment.” In the DC Universe, the G.I. Robot was a military android built to kill Nazis, drawing an enthymematic comparison between the UC Republicans and Nazis. Porter still welcomed the protests. “They have the freedom of speech to do that,” they stated. “I’m okay with people on the other side. They can say whatever they want. I actually like what they’re doing right now. They’re standing up for what they believe in. They’re not causing any harm to anybody. So I applaud them for doing that.”
As for future plans, all parties spoken to agreed that this is the start of a larger political conversation at Ursinus. Glassic stated, “We do have a strong opinion in [UC Republicans] that we do want to set up more debates, formal and informal. We’re looking to do that either late this semester or next semester.”
The anonymous protester is also looking for more conversation in the future. “I would love this to be the start of building a more politically active and aware student body,” they stated. “I know that this protest caused many discussions about Charlie Kirk and his views, and I was able to witness those conversations happening as students walked by with their friends. I am very interested in keeping these conversations going. We cannot simply ignore what is happening in the world, especially at a college whose stated goal is to ‘enable students to become independent, responsible, and thoughtful individuals.’”
The full article is available on the Grizzly website.