Student group protests creation of Charlie Kirk memorial at Utah Valley University

OREM, Utah (KTVX) — The Student Democratic Society organized a protest on the Utah Valley University campus against the creation of a memorial for Charlie Kirk, who was murdered at a UVU speaking event on September 10.

Last month, following the conservative influencer's murder on its campus, UVU announced that it was planning to create a memorial in Kirk's honor. The university created a committee to develop the memorial, with members from UVU, the Utah Board of Higher Education, students, political leaders, and other stakeholders.

Levi Colby, a UVU student at the protest, told Nexstar's KTVX that Kirk's murder was a tragedy and that they're hoping for unity on campus.

"We do not stand for violence at UVU. I think I can speak for the whole student body when I say we do not want violence on our campus. As a part of that, we want the opposite of that, we want unity, we want kindness, we want friendship, we want to show each other that we're here for one another," Colby said.

At the same time, Colby feels like Kirk is not the kind of figure that should be permanently remembered on the UVU campus.

"The worry with this memorial that they're planning on putting up, or creating a planning committee, at least, to potentially put up, is that it's celebrating Charlie Kirk and not celebrating unity. We want to celebrate unity. We want to celebrate students coming together in a time of tragedy. We don't want to celebrate, frankly, a very racist, bigoted man," Colby said.

Colby said that the students protesting do not want a memorial in Kirk's likeness, but they are open to a memorial that celebrates the way the student body came together following Kirk's murder.

"A memorial for Charlie Kirk, I think, would be a memorial for hatred," Colby concluded.

When the plan for the memorial was announced, there were competing petitions about the memorial — one in support, which now has over 21,000 signatures, and one opposing, which currently has over 15,000 signatures.

Those in support of the memorial cited a need for healing and reconciliation following the "politically motivated" killing of Kirk, according to the petition, and said that the memorial will be a reminder of the "importance of open dialogue and peaceful discourse" in the community.

The petition against the memorial states that Kirk was known for his "divisive rhetoric" and that his organization, Turning Point USA, has been criticized for promoting messages that "some consider homophobic, transphobic, and racist."

"UVU prides itself on being a diverse and inclusive institution that fosters an environment of learning and growth for all students, regardless of their background. Erecting a memorial for Charlie Kirk would undermine these core values and might alienate students who represent different political, racial, and cultural backgrounds," the petition reads.