Kyle Rittenhouse event at UofM stirs up controversy on campus

Ashley Paul
·2 min read
8

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An upcoming guest speaker at the University of Memphis is stirring up controversy.

Kyle Rittenhouse was acquitted of killing two men and wounding another during a Black Lives Matter rally in Wisconsin in 2020 when he was 17 years old.

He is scheduled to appear at the University of Memphis on March 20, but some Memphians say his visit makes them uneasy.

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Some have stated online they plan to protest the event by signing up for free tickets and then not showing up. They are asking others to do the same, so Rittenhouse will have to address an empty room.

The event is hosted by the registered student organization Memphis Turning Point USA.

Students and local and state leaders are all weighing in on the guest appearance. They say allowing Rittenhouse to appear on a campus whose student body is 40% black makes students uncomfortable and sends the wrong message.

“I was baffled to be honest. This is clearly an event that is here to incite anger amongst a predominantly black college in a predominantly black city where MLK was killed. They knew what they were doing with this,” said Joe Griz, a University of Memphis student.

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Democratic representative Antonio Parkinson says this is a learning experience, arguing that first amendment rights must be upheld for everyone’s sake.

“Whether you like Kyle Rittenhouse or not, I abhor him. However, he is a part of our history now, believe it or not. And so, if you have an opportunity to hear while the person is here, take advantage of that opportunity,” said Parkinson. “I also don’t believe that we should be suppressing freedom of speech. I think that, just as we allow Rittenhouse here, other what would be deemed controversial speakers, those that may be African American or others, should be allowed as well.”

The University of Memphis said in a statement that due to free speech, they cannot legally prohibit the event.

We also reached out to Turning Point USA about the event but have not yet heard back.

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