Wellston resident Devin Shipman drew a crowd of supporters in north Oklahoma City Friday when he decided to create a large banner sharing a controversial Facebook post by veterinarian Chris Rispoli that Shipman and others say advocates further violence following the assassination of conservative Charlie Kirk.
Rispoli declined to comment when asked about the post and the protest. The post, since deleted, was posted under Rispoli’s name in the hours after Kirk was shot to death while at a Sept. 10 rally in Utah debating gun violence with an attendee.
“Charlie Kirk, right wing stupid f*** maga activist shot un alived on Utah campus,” the post read. “He is only the first! Could we actually be getting smart and culling the sick ones? Oh gosh, I want the (sic) offer his family my ‘thoughts and prayers’!!”
Wellston resident Devin Shipman waves to cars honking in support of his protest against Gentle Care Animal Hospital owner Chris Rispoli. Shipman paid for a banner showing a Facebook post by Rispoli indicating support for the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The clinic at 2301 NW 178 is shown in the background.
The post has since gone viral across the country and police in Nixa, Missouri, reported on Thursday they responded to threats made against a clinic there with the same name but not related to Rispoli’s operation in Oklahoma City.
A man identifying himself as Matthew Baker, another veterinarian at Rispoli’s clinic, posted his own Facebook message announcing he cut ties with Gentle Care Animal Clinic and that the comments made by “others associated with the clinic” do not reflect his views and values.
The Oklahoma Veterinary Board, meanwhile, posted a statement on its website reporting it is reviewing the post and that calls for violence are unacceptable.
Shipman showed up to protest without making any threats against Rispoli. Those who stopped and joined him outside the clinic at 2301 NW 178 remained peaceful. He and those joining him at the Sept. 12 protest say the post went too far by advocating violence against other right-wing voices like Kirk.
“It struck me that it was a terrible comment to make at a terrible time,” Shipman said. “I saved it at the time, and I didn’t really plan on making a poster of it at the time. But I continued to stew on it. I saw that it was deleted, and I didn’t want him to be able to hide from his words.”
Shipman said making a banner and having a protest isn’t something he would ordinarily do, but he believes Rispoli went too far by suggesting more “people that lean to the far right” are to be killed.
“I knew somebody needed to do something about it, and I figured why not me and why not now?” Shipman said. “We need to shine a light on things people don’t want seen and that they want to hide.”
As he stood by his sign, dozens of drivers honked and shouted their support of the protest while one nearby business owner brought him drinks and food.
Shipman said he agrees with Kirk’s stance in favor of free speech, and he wouldn’t have been protesting someone just disagreeing with Kirk’s actions or legacy. Shipman said the murder of Kirk cost the country an important voice that was starting conversations and bringing both sides of issues to debate and disagree on issues.
“I believe that free speech is 100% a right, and I think that it should be exercised, and you exercise any way you choose,” Shipman said. “But I think the consequences here are people are going to be able to decide whether or not they continue to spend money with the guy that feels this way about a right-wing political commentator.”
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC veterinarian Chris Rispoli was protested over Charlie Kirk post