Kyle Rittenhouse’s college speaking tour continues to draw heavy opposition from campus communities.
“The Rittenhouse Recap,” as organizer Turning Point USA calls it, is set to take place at the University of Memphis and Western Kentucky University this month and at Kent State University in April.
The event web pages state that Rittenhouse will speak “about the importance of the Second Amendment and the lies of (Black Lives Matter).”
At Kent State, one person launched an online petition calling for the university to cancel Rittenhouse’s event. More than 1,100 people have signed it so far.
“As a member of the Kent State community, I am deeply concerned about an upcoming event hosted by student organization Turning Point USA, which will feature Kyle Rittenhouse as a guest,” Ally Greco wrote. “We must remember that our university should be a place for learning and growth – not for promoting divisive figures or ideologies that could potentially incite more violence.”
Rittenhouse was 17 when he fired a semi-automatic AR-15 style rifle at three men, killing two of them, during a demonstration in 2020 against the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He was acquitted of five charges, including intentional homicide, in 2021.
People online who learned about the speaking tour took issue with it since Rittenhouse’s acquittal carries controversy to this day.
In 1970, Kent State was the site of a deadly shooting carried out by the Ohio National Guard. Officers killed four college students and wounded nine other students who were protesting against news that the U.S. would be intensifying Vietnam War efforts by invading Cambodia.
The shooting triggered student strikes nationwide, forcing hundreds of college campuses to close.
Several social media users, including those affiliated with Kent State, denounced Rittenhouse’s invitation and questioned why the campus would invite a man who shot and killed protesters to a campus that has a history of gun violence.
Some called the event “tone deaf” and “detrimental to the student body.”
Kent State released a statement after Rittenhouse’s event was announced:
“A registered student organization is bringing this speaker to campus. Kent State University upholds the First Amendment rights of free speech and peaceful assembly for all. As a state university, we permit groups and individuals to speak and share their views on our campus about topics they feel are important,” the statement says. “Kent State has a long history of allowing peaceful dialogue from all points of view, including those whom some may feel are offering different and/or sometimes controversial opinions.”
“As with any speaker invited to our campus, the university does not endorse or condone an opinion or point of view represented by the speaker, nor does the university advocate for any topic the speaker might discuss during their visit to campus,” it continues. “We continue to support and encourage freedom of expression and the free exchange of ideas. Consistent with our core values, we encourage open dialogue and respectful civil discourse in an inclusive environment.”
At Western Kentucky University, a spokesperson said that the event does not represent the values or views of the school.
“While WKU’s commitment to free speech includes allowing groups to invite guests to campus, that does not mean that the university supports, endorses or agrees with the views of those individuals,” Jace Lux said in a statement.
The organization behind Rittenhouse’s speaking tour is Turning Point USA, a conservative student advocacy group founded by right-wing firebrand Charlie Kirk. Candace Owens even served as the organization’s communications director for a time.
