In the early hours of Thursday morning, students at Carnegie Mellon University painted a tribute on the school’s fence to honor Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed while speaking at a college campus in Utah on Wednesday.
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The painting read, ‘Rest in Peace Charlie Kirk’ on one side, and ‘Say No to Political Violence’ on the other side.
The display, organized by the Carnegie Mellon College Republicans, drew students who stopped to see the message and take photos. College Republicans President Anthony Cacciato said the tribute was meant both to honor Kirk and call for an end to political violence.
“I think most of us are just ready to say we need to bring an end to this political violence,” Cacciato said. “As well as many other college Republicans, I can really point to Charlie Kirk as one of the people who laid the groundwork for conservative activism on college campuses.”
>>> Photos: Charlie Kirk shot during Utah Valley University event <<<
Students said they hope Kirk’s passing sparks broader conversations about political discourse.
“I just think we really need to cultivate a society where we can share our beliefs openly,” said student Danica Purtell. “I’m just really hoping that we can get to a point where we can disagree civilly. We don’t all have to agree. That’s the beauty of the freedom of speech.”
>>> Photos: Remembering Charlie Kirk <<<
“It is up to us, not as Republicans, not as ideologs, but as humans to preserve the right of free speech, preserve dignity, and ultimately not put ideology above people,” said student Jerry W. Xu.
President Donald Trump ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff through Sunday in Kirk’s honor.
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