Charlie Kirk Memorial, CSU, Sept 18, 2025 / KLZ Radio
Thousands gathered at Colorado State University’s Canvas Stadium in Fort Collins last night for a candlelight vigil honoring Charlie Kirk, the late conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA. The vigil, organized by CSU’s Turning Point USA chapter, replaced the planned stop of Kirk’s “American Comeback Tour” after his tragic death last week at Utah Valley University. Over 7,400 people attended, packing the east stands as the stadium overflowed with supporters, students, and local community members.
The event began at 5:40 p.m., opening with the National Anthem before several speakers took the stage, including former gubernatorial candidate Heidi Ganahl, conservative activist Isabel Brown, author Will Witt, and Christian minister Andrew Wommack. Many speakers reflected on Kirk’s impact on conservative students and the importance he placed on open debate and free speech on college campuses. Frequent chants of “USA! USA!” were heard throughout the stadium.
It was truly a beautiful vigil, as KLZ Radio was there on site. What struck me the most was the age of the attendees. There were over 10,000 in attendance at the event, and at one point Ganahl asked students to raise their hands, when approximately half of the crowd raised their hands. The kids of Colorado are not as liberal as one may think!
Attendees included people who had planned to attend Kirk’s originally scheduled debate event, as well as those drawn to pay respects after learning of his assassination. Local motorcycle groups organized a memorial ride in solidarity before the vigil. The climate was one of unity, despite that it was a vigil for a man who was senselessly slain for speaking truth, the crowds were fired up and ready to fight for free speech. Chants of “Charlie Kirk!” frequently rang out, in addition to the tried and true “USA!, USA!, USA!” chants that have inspired so many. It was truly a moment of solidarity and resolve to heal a nation divided by political violence and stifled free speech at the hands of unchecked Liberal power.
Security was visibly heightened at CSU for the event, with state and local law enforcement enforcing strict stadium entry rules, including a clear-bag policy and the
prohibition of weapons. The university issued a statement clarifying its role was limited to providing secure facilities rather than organizing the events themselves. It was seriously amazing to see how much law enforcement was at the event, with agencies across the state coming together, and a visible presence of surveillance and organization.
Some creative T-Shirts were seen, and an encouraging number of religious iconography was apparent as well, personally most of the crowd got a kick out of the shit I wore that read I LVOE JESUS AND TACOS. Always a hit. A group was at the front with posterboards with the message “Say His Name: Charlie Kirk” and others were there to collect signatures from the event-goers, which was a neat idea.
Alternative events took place on campus the same evening, including a counter-vigil and public discussions organized by Democratic-leaning groups advocating for free speech and condemning political violence. Despite differences in ideology, there was a unified call across gatherings to reject violence and respect debate, demonstrating the far-reaching impact of Kirk’s legacy on campus culture and dialogue.
The message from all of the speakers, and even from the event attendees was clear: Discourse is the way forward. We must find a way to talk to the opposition, despite the fear.
Isabel Brown, prominent conservative speaker and recent addition to the Daily Wire stable of hosts, mentioned that in an adjacent building, the streamer “Destiny” aka Stephen Bonnell the Second”, recently known for his appearance on the Piers Morgan show saying the quiet part out loud, that Conservatives need to be scared, and thus tacitly excusing the Kirk assassination as “necessary”, was speaking at a giant stinkbomb of an event called the “UnF**k America Tour”, where the only attendees there showed up to tell “Destiny” that he’s a vile, hateful bigot.
And if the post in The Coloradan is any indication, his event was an abysmal failure. It appeared from the page that there were maybe 30 people in the mostly empty room. And the ones in the images appear to be conservatives, loudly speaking their beliefs through graphic teeshirts with messages like “Love Jesus, Love Liberty, and Love America -Charlie Kirk”, and “Evil is powerless when the good are unafraid”; markedly conservative messages. Destiny even looks asleep in most of his pictures.
Meanwhile, the 10,000 at CSU stadium honoring Charlie Kirk were peacefully but LOUDLY cheering for free speech, kindness, and turning down the rhetoric that Destiny preaches.
At the end of the day, Charlie’s vigil was very effective and Destiny’s was not. After leaving the event, there were droves of activists outside the Rams Canvas Stadium.
I was impressed, though that the “Free Palestine” crowd that we’re used to seeing screaming and generally not understanding their own cause, were peaceful. They were talking to Kirk fans.
And that’s what Charlie wanted more than anything, because that’s what leads people to Jesus. He wanted us talking. Peacefully. And for that, he was gunned down by a coward who hid on a roof 200 yards from his victim. He ran like a coward and got straight about the work of texting his furry trans boyfriend.
So that’s a win for the Hamas protestors, and if we can only continue talking, we might just get America back to a place of civil discourse.
Rest easy, Charlie. You did the hard part. We’ll take it from here and do you proud.
