Utah Valley University will cancel classes Thursday as the campus marks one year since Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated there.
The university said it is closing its public campus in Orem, Utah, to give students, faculty and staff time for reflection on the anniversary of his murder.
TPUSA will return to the campus Thursday evening for its “Freedom Built to Last Memorial” at the UCCU Center.
The event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. and will also be livestreamed online.
“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 USA said.
https://t.co/bXVCD1zGFZ pic.twitter.com/Nirfb08T3P
— Turning Point USA (@TPUSA) September 3, 2026
Meanwhile, far-left activists are preparing to protest a memorial event being held in his honor.
In an open letter, the Students for a Democratic Society accused university officials of planning to “hand over our campus” to TPUSA
The activists also attacked Utah Valley University President Jon Anderson, claiming he had “aligned himself with the interests” of TPUSA by allowing the organization to hold the memorial on campus.
The group went further, accusing Turning Point USA of being “openly racist and antagonistic” and claiming the organization was promoting “a narrative of victimhood” by commemorating its assassinated founder.
The protesters also claimed they would be “further negatively affected by allowing TPUSA to occupy our campus on that day.”
A leaked recording also showed SDS members planning to make the event as “uncomfortable as possible for people to get in.”
EXCLUSIVE AUDIO: SDS at UVU President: “We’ll need to take the fight and make sure that UVU knows that there shouldn’t be a memorial on campus … if we can make it as uncomfortable as possible for people to get in … ” pic.twitter.com/GLujuGDelf
— The Cougar Chronicle (@TheCougChron) September 4, 2026
Sick UVU Leftists Plot to Make a Charlie Kirk Anniversary Memorial ‘As Uncomfortable as Possible’ on the Campus Where He Was Killed, According to Leaked Recording
Anderson has defended the university’s decision, pointing out the school is not sponsoring the memorial.
“As an institution, it’s important that we stay apolitical, that we don’t jump in the fray,” Anderson said.
“Any entity could’ve used that space, and they chose to have that day. And we allowed them to do that.”
The university will provide security because of the size of the event and the potential for confrontation.
Last week, a judge ruled that 23-year-old Tyler Robinson can stand trial for aggravated murder and six other charges.
If convicted, he will eligible for the death penalty.
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