Kyle Rittenhouse Cuts Memphis Event Short Amid Protest
By TOI Desk Report March 22, 2024 Update on : March 22, 2024
Conservative activist Kyle Rittenhouse was forced to cut short a speaking event at the University of Memphis on Wednesday night after angry protesters gathered to shout down a discussion about the Second Amendment.
Rittenhouse, who is best known for shooting three people, killing two of them, during protests over the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was acquitted of all the charges.
While Rittenhouse prepared to speak at the UC Theatre at the University of Memphis on March 21, nearly 200 demonstrators gathered outside the auditorium on March 21, reports gazette.com.
He was invited by the conservative group Turning Point USA.
The university took “unprecedented actions to undermine” the event, TPUSA said before the talk.
Some videos of demonstrators spread on social media. The videos showed that as protesters were chasing event attendees and shouting “No justice, no peace”, police officers escorted attendees off campus.
After disruptions, Rittenhouse promptly left the stage.
According to many media reports, Rittenhouse disputes the characterization after he was driven off the stage by protesters.
CEO Charlie Kirk and TPUSA founder also shared videos of the incident on social media.
The videos showed that protestors were “beating and spitting on cars and attempting to block the cars from leaving.
The school authorities released a statement ahead of Rittenhouse’s speech earlier this month.
The expression of different ideas and opinions plays an important role in maintaining a diverse campus environment, added the statement.