Alli Adams
Can over the top of a newspaper with the words “BREAKING NEWS”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect a time change for the Political Review event.
The Colorado State University Political Review and the Turning Point Chapter of Colorado State University announced events in lieu of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk’s planned visit to CSU Thursday, Sept. 18, prior to his death Sept. 10.
Kirk’s visit was planned as part of his American Comeback Tour and was set to be held in the Lory Student Center ballrooms. While the event is still listed on the tour’s website, and Kirk’s wife and other organizers of Turning Point USA have vowed to continue the tour, the ticket page is down.
Instead, the CSU Chapter of Turning Point USA announced Tuesday that they will be holding a vigil for Kirk inside of Canvas Stadium from 5:30-6:30 p.m. CSU confirmed that a number of other planned student vigils had transferred their planned events to the Canvas Stadium memorial.
The CSU Political Review, a nonpartisan club, announced Wednesday Sept. 15 that they would be sponsoring the Unfuck America Tour, a grassroots PAC comprised of liberal influencers, to provide a space for open debate. That event will take place in the LSC Ballrooms at 6:30 p.m following the vigil. The tagline of the event is “For Free Speech. Against Political Violence.”
“CSU Political Review is the first non-partisan political club on campus that strives to create a space where students from all political ideologies can come and engage in political dialogue,” said Political Review president Victoria Doscotch in a statement. “Initially when our leadership team became aware that the American Comeback Tour and the UnFuck America tour were coming to campus, we had no plan to get involved…However, after one of the most public political assassinations of our generation we knew we needed to step up in some capacity. We were contacted by a member of the UnFuck America tour seeing if we could help them still host their event in the name of keeping spirit of political dialogue thriving on our campus.”
The Political Review has been an active club affiliated with the CSU political science department since last year.
“We took this opportunity to step in as mediators trying to bridge both conservatives and liberals on campus,” Doscotch said. “CSU Political Review has a clear stance of not endorsing any of the speakers who are coming. Regarding safety concerns, we met with Mark Barker, Jason Rogien, Sean Fitzpatrick, and Ramsey Crochet who have all ensured the upmost safety for this event. Patrick McCabe and I feel confident in all the safety measures that will be put in place the day (of) the event and we hope to see you all there!”
Prior to the announcement of the events, CSU President Amy Parsons sent out a universitywide email addressing political violence, free speech and tolerance.
“Over the past several years, we have worked intentionally to bring a wide range of speakers and perspectives to CSU — voices from across the political, social and cultural spectrum,” Parsons’ email reads. “These efforts are not always easy, but they are essential. They build our collective capacity for thoughtful debate, listening as well as speaking, and finding common ground even in disagreement.”
The email stressed the importance of peaceful debate and strongly condemned any acts of violence.
“While we welcome debate, dialogue and peaceful protest, we will not tolerate threats, intimidation or acts of violence,” Parsons’ statement said. “Our first responsibility is to ensure the safety of every member of this community. CSU is working closely with law enforcement and safety partners to prepare for any future events. We encourage everyone to approach campus events with respect, restraint and a commitment to the values that make CSU strong.”
Following the confirmation of the two events, CSU released a statement outlining security plans for the events.
“CSU’s top priority is the safety of our students and the community,” CSU Interim Police Chief Stacey Clement said in the university’s statement. “In these instances, we are coordinating with law enforcement partners to provide secure venues for external events that will allow our students, faculty, staff and visitors to exercise their First Amendment rights in the safest environment we can provide.”
CSU’s statement emphasized that the university’s role in these events is only to provide secure facilities to ensure safety. The university said that it did not speak on behalf of, or represent, either organization.
Both events would operate with a clear bag policy and use of magnetometer security screenings. It has been illegal to carry a firearm on a Colorado campus since 2024.
“As a public institution, CSU is legally required to uphold and protect the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution,” The University’s statement said. “This includes providing space for diverse viewpoints to be expressed, even when those viewpoints may be contentious or generate strong responses within the community.”
Reach Allie Seibel at news@collegian.com or on social media @allie_seibel_.