MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The University of Memphis Turning Point USA Chapter invited Kyle Rittenhouse to speak at the campus Wednesday, March 20. The event was met with backlash from students who disagree with Rittenhouse’s views, especially following his high-profile case.
Rittenhouse is best known for being acquitted after killing two men and shooting another at a protest in 2020 in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Wednesday night, he talked to students about the second amendment, his actions in 2020 and his views on gun violence and the impact in Memphis.
However, a majority of students were very strongly against his invite to speak.
“Picking that specific person was intentional,” student Gabrielle Hunter-Davis said.
The University of Memphis made it clear that as a public institution, since Rittenhouse was invited to speak, it’s his first amendment right to give his speech.
Some students who disagree with his message chose to get tickets and either voice their disapproval of him or not show up all together.
“The goal is to take up space…but mostly to take up space from people who have harmful ideologies," one student said.
University of Memphis’ Turning Point Chapter would not comment on inviting Rittenhouse to speak.
“The left wing has pointed Kyle out as a murderous psychopath…I do disagree,” Dean Musarra, who is not a student at the university but attended to support Rittenhouse, said.
Around midnight on Thursday, Rittenhouse posted a video on X — formerly known as Twitter — saying the event was "great" and that reports of him getting "booed off stage" were not true. Instead, he said his team did a hard cutoff time.
