FROM FOX NEWS: Students who support Charlie Kirk say they will not be deterred from advocating for the free speech rights that the Turning Point USA founder stood for before he was assassinated.
Two college students, cousins Anthony and McKinley Shinkle, told Fox News Digital on Thursday they came to support Kirk after the shooting and refused to be intimidated.
“Violence never works for those who use it, especially in this manner. We want to show that it doesn’t matter what you do. We are not afraid,” McKinley told Fox News Digital.
Despite never entering the venue, the Shinkles are championing Kirk’s free-speech agenda and traditional values message.
“You can’t silence people. Free speech is something that’s going to stay with us no matter what,” Anthony said.
“To me, Charlie Kirk was someone who I grew up seeing his videos and, to see him basically be executed for having a civil discussion with people is absurd,” Anthony said. “If they’re willing to kill him, they will kill any of us.”
Seeking to turn the violent, cowardly act into a rally cry, the Shinkles displayed signs emblazoned with “Charlie Kirk, American Hero” and “We Are Not Afraid.”
In the video below, independent journalist Evita Duffy-Alfonso remembers Kirk and the legacy he leaves behind, especially on college campuses. Once a frightened student feeling targeted by leftists at school, she says he offered courage and established a platform for them to stand on.
WATCH:
Meanwhile, at Boston University (BU), conservative students are fighting back, calling on university leaders to protect them.
From Fox News:
BU College Republicans Vice President Philip Wohltorf, who also works as a legislative aide in the Massachusetts State Senate, told Fox News Digital that Kirk’s death has left conservative students shaken.
“Universities are supposed to be marketplaces of ideas. If speakers or conservatives now have to worry about being shot or facing violence, then this marketplace closes,” Wohltorf said.
The group sent a letter Thursday to BU President Melissa Gilliam asking the university to hold accountable students promoting violence in the wake of the tragedy and provide “appropriate security” for upcoming College Republican events. The letter also accused the university of fostering a culture where conservative students felt intimidated to share their views.
