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Kyle Rittenhouse’s speaking event at the University of Memphis took a sharp turn when he left the stage as his views on what he considered was racist was questioned.
The event was originally met with backlash that soon turned into hundreds protesting outside the UC Theatre at the University of Memphis.
One protester held up a sign that said, “Put Rittenhouse behind bars not a podium,” while another’s display said, “Murderers don’t belong here.” Rittenhouse gained notoriety after fatally shooting two protesters and injuring another during a Black Lives Matter rally in Wisconsin in 2020. He was charged but was acquitted in a trial in 2021.
Inside, people pressed Rittenhouse for his opinion on what he considered racist.
Social media, video captures Kyle Rittenhouse leaving University of Memphis
X, formerly known as Twitter, has seen post after post of University of Memphis students protesting Rittenhouse’s speaking event on campus. Some posts showed videos of students leaving as Rittenhouse spoke, others questioning his motives.
In one video, Rittenhouse is asked if he considered certain statements directed against Black people to be racist. He refused to answer the question as shouts of “deflection” came from the audience. After this particular question, Rittenhouse is quickly escorted off the stage without another word.
Other video posted to social media shows people booing him and walking out of the event on Wednesday night. Outside, protestors celebrated after Rittenhouse left after only spending about 30 minutes on stage and cutting his appearance short.
“Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson can be heard in the video as protestors sing the refrain, “don’t believe me just watch,” after Rittenhouse left.
Kyle Rittenhouse reacts to media articles of being ‘booed off stage’
In a 53 seconds video post on X, Rittenhouse talks about how “interesting” Memphis is and jokes about how the media was portraying his abrupt departure from the stage. “Quick update. We made it back safely!” was the caption the came with the video.
“I think its funny a lot of the media is saying we were booed off stage, in reality we did a hard cutoff time,” Rittenhouse states in the video.
In videos from inside the UC theatre, Rittenhouse is seen being questioned before he’s ushered off stage without a word to signal to the audience that a hard cutoff time had been hit.
Why was Kyle Rittenhouse at University of Memphis?
The student chapter of the conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA was the group that arranged for Rittenhouse to speak on Wednesday night.
The University of Memphis’s Turning Point USA Chapter invited Rittenhouse to speak at the campus, where he talked about the second amendment and his views of gun violence.
The University of Memphis wasn’t sponsoring the event, but the school also maintained that it was legally required to let Rittenhouse talk, per the First Amendment and Tennessee’s Campus Free Speech Act.
What is Turning Point USA?
Turning Point USA advocates for conservative politics on high school, college and university campuses across the country and brings in speakers like Rittenhouse to talk to a younger demographic on theses campuses.
“The organization’s mission is to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government. Turning Point USA believes that every young person can be enlightened to true free market values,” read Turning Point’s website.
Who is Kyle Rittenhouse?
In August 2020, a 17-year-old Rittenhouse made national headlines after he shot and killed two demonstrators in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and injured a third, who had been protesting the shooting of a Black man by a white police officer.
Rittenhouse arrived in Kenosha, with a semiautomatic rifle that was purchased for him by a friend, as he was too young to buy it legally. Rittenhouse had come from Illinois to get to Kenosha, alleging he was there to protect local businesses and serve as a medic.
Civil rights lawsuit:Civil rights lawsuit against Kyle Rittenhouse, Kenosha can proceed, federal judge rules
Rittenhouse was charged with five felony counts, including two counts of first-degree intentional homicide. He claimed self-defense and was acquitted of criminal accusations in fall 2021, but became a divisive figure across the country.
Tami Sawyer objects to Kyle Rittenhouse event, ‘proud’ of University of Memphis protest
Tami Sawyer, a U of M alum and show is running for Shelby County General Session Court Clerk, objected to Rittenhouse coming to the university campus when his speaking event was announced. On Wednesday, she posted to social media of how “proud” she was of students taking a stand against Rittenhouse being there.
“I’m proud of the Univeristy of Memphis students who organized resistance tonight, as well as the Black Student Association, the U of M NAACP, alums, and faculty who spoke out. I am not proud of @uofmemphis administration,” Sawyer wrote.
She also encouraged people to not just use their voices to show support for students.
“If you contribute to the U of M, earmark your dollars to support the Black Student Association when you donate. Our Black students need your support in several ways,” she wrote.
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