Kyle Rittenhouse appearance at Western Kentucky University triggers outrage from leftists

On March 27, Turning Point USA hosted a “Rittenhouse Recap” event at Western Kentucky University featuring Kyle Rittenhouse, who spoke about “the importance of the Second Amendment and the lies of BLM,” according to TPUSA. 

Rittenhouse became a household name in 2020 after shooting rioters in Kenosha, WI, during the 2020 summer riots. Rittenhouse said he acted in self-defense. He faced charges for five crimes, including homicide, but was acquitted on all counts in a widely publicized trial.

Rittenhouse was only 17 at the time of the riots in August 2020.

His appearance on campus sparked controversy. A Change.org petition launched before the event condemned his appearance at the school and urged the university to “disband Turning Point USA’s student organization at Western Kentucky University immediately.” The petition has received roughly 5,000 signatures.

[RELATED: ‘MURDERER’: Kent State students protest upcoming Kyle Rittenhouse speech]

One student expressed her opposition to the event, saying: “I understand that free speech is a thing and we are a public university and absolutely invite who you want but he’s an actual murderer he has killed people and served no time. As someone who is prone to violence and has shown that those [sic] acts of violence in the past, I don’t think he should be allowed to be on campus,” according to WBKO.

A WKU spokesperson emphasized the school’s free speech policy, saying: “While WKU’s commitment to free speech includes allowing groups to invite guests to campus, that does not mean that the university supports, endorses or agrees with the views of those individuals,” according to the Courier Journal. 

Another school official echoed the same sentiments, saying that “as a public institution we cannot restrict or censor these types of events,” wrote WKU Public Radio. 

The “For the People” group protested Rittenhouse’s appearance on campus the day of the event, with one group member stating: “I’m hoping that the university will see that we’re essentially not playing around, that the demands that we’re asking for are not something that we’re just like flippantly wanting, but these are demands that we’d like carefully crafted and policies that we carefully analyze,” according to the College Heights Herald. 

[RELATED: University of Memphis protesters block students from leaving Kyle Rittenhouse event: VIDEO]

As attendees started coming to the event, For the People members chanted “You can’t stop the revolution,” wrote the College Heights Herald. 

Rittenhouse described his experience during the 2020 riots, telling attendees he “was set up for an ambush with no choice but to defend myself. . . . I was scared, I was terrified, I was all by myself. . . . It was the scariest situation I’ve ever been in my life,” the Herald continued. 

Another group involved in the protests was the Bowling Green Freedom Walkers, and the total number of protestors reached roughly 700 individuals, with the demonstrators chanting statements like “no justice, no peace,” “Kyle is a killer,” and “lock his ass up,” the Herald reported. 

Campus Reform has reached out to Western Kentucky University and the Freedom Walkers for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.