Thousands attend Charlie Kirk vigil at ASU: 9 photos

A sea of “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN” hats filled Desert Financial Arena in Tempe on Monday night as thousands filled the Arizona State University facility to pay homage to Charlie Kirk, the far-right firebrand and activist who was assassinated last week in Utah.

Roughly 7,000 attended what was billed as a vigil for Kirk by Turning Point USA, the Phoenix-based political organization the 31-year-old Kirk founded in 2012. Each attendee received a MAGA hat — with the American flag on one side and Turning Point’s logo on the other — and was encouraged to register to vote.

Over two and a half hours, several Kirk associates — including some of the most far-right figures in Republican politics — held candles and made remarks to a crowd that included children, senior citizens and all ages in between. Speakers stood on an elevated black stage in the middle of the stadium’s floor, with red-white-and-blue bouquets and photos of Kirk behind them. At times, chants of “Charlie, Charlie, Charlie” and “USA, USA, USA” filled the air.

A Catholic priest read from the Bible and an ASU professor called Kirk “the American Socrates” — a generous appraisal of Kirk’s in-your-face debating style. Turning Point contributor Anthony Watson called Kirk a “saint,” while Lucas Miles, the senior director of TPUSA Faith, said Kirk “died a martyr for Jesus Christ.”

Jack Posobiec — who made his name promoting the baseless Pizzagate conspiracy theory that Democrats were running a child sex ring out of a pizzeria and who, among many other alarming activities and beliefs, authored a book arguing that progressives are subhuman — cast blame for Kirk’s death not on his alleged 22-year-old lone wolf assassin but on Democrats.

“As long as I live, I will make sure the radical left, the media and the Democrats never forget the name of Charlie Kirk. I will never let them forget what they did to Charlie Kirk,” Posobiec said, holding a rosary.

Tyler Bowyer, Turning Point’s chief operating officer and one of the Arizonans indicted for their role in attempting to overturn the 2020 election, encouraged attendees to vote. At the door, attendees were met with TPUSA staff and volunteers wearing white “I am Charlie” t-shirts, asking if people were registered to vote — particularly for the upcoming Salt River Project election, which the organization has gotten involved in.

Attendees, like Heidi Howell, were motivated to do more. While she’s already registered to vote, the 23-year-old from Surprise told Phoenix New Times that the events of the last week are “definitely gonna give me a voice and a reason to speak” to friends and family more about political issues.

Here are photos from the vigil.