Slaying revives campus free-speech issues

The fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at a Utah college event has put a spotlight on tensions over free speech at universities, where conservatives, including President Trump, have said campuses are intolerant of right-wing speakers and thought.

- By JAWEED KALEEM AND DANIEL MILLER

TRENT NELSON Salt Lake Tribune CHARLIE KIRK'S death has prompted calls for greater tolerance of right-wing speech at college campuses.

Kirk, a Trump ally widely credited for revitalizing Republican movements among college students, was speaking before thousands at Utah Valley University when he was shot in the neck. The event was similar to dozens he has held over the years — including at UCLA, USC and Cal State campuses. Kirk typically would sit under a tent to debate attendees who challenged his right-wing views on immigration, gender identity, criminal policy, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, abortion and other hot-button subjects.

As a conservative provocateur, his style and beliefs frequently drew campus protests and petitions from liberal students and faculty seeking to cancel his appearances.

The Utah event was no exception. An open letter before his engagement asked the university to reevaluate “the decision to allow Charlie Kirk to speak” because he was against “inclusivity and unity.”

But Utah Valley University leaders said they wanted the campus to be a place “where ideas — popular or controversial — can be exchanged freely, energetically, and civilly” and where “free expression thrives and all voices are respected.”

They said the university “does not take official positions on political, social, or cultural controversies.”

The shooting comes as colleges face harsh repercussions from the Trump administration over volatile and widespread pro-Palestinian protests last year. At the time, university leaders struggled to draw the line between free speech and unacceptable behavior under campus codes of conduct.