University of Tennessee condemns flyers appearing to celebrate Charlie Kirk assassination
Flyers at the University of Tennessee advertise a campus gathering celebrating Charlie Kirk's assassination anniversary, but the university is condemning it.
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is condemning messages that celebrate political violence after mysterious "Kirkaversery" [sic] flyers advertised a gathering apparently marking one year since Charlie Kirk’s assassination, declaring, "WE WILL CELEBRATE THE FIRST NEW YEAR AK (AFTER KIRK)."
The flyers, images of which circulated widely on social media and by Libs of TikTok, advertise an 8 p.m. Sept. 10 gathering on the HSS Lawn, an outdoor green space at UT Knoxville. But the university told Fox News Digital that it is not sponsoring an event related to Kirk’s assassination and that no organization has registered to use the location for such a gathering.
"The university is not sponsoring any event related to Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and no organization has registered to use the HSS Lawn or any other reservable space for any such event," a university spokesperson told Fox News Digital in a statement Wednesday. "At this time, the university has not determined whether the flyers are connected to anyone affiliated with UT."
The spokesperson added, "The University of Tennessee strongly condemns any message or activity that celebrates or makes light of violence or the loss of human life. We remain committed to ensuring our campus is a place that values civility and where human dignity is respected."
It is unclear who is behind the apparent event.
Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University during his "American Comeback Tour."
Other advertisements for similar events have appeared at various schools across the country, with students at Georgetown University allegedly planning a Kirk "lookalike contest" for the anniversary of the conservative activist’s assassination. The event drew thousands of upvotes on Fizz, an anonymous social media platform popular with Georgetown students, according to screenshots shared with Fox News Digital from the school’s Turning Point USA chapter.
DEMOCRATIC STUDENT GROUP TO PROTEST CHARLIE KIRK MEMORIAL AT CAMPUS WHERE HE WAS KILLED
INSIDE CHARLIE KIRK’S EFFORT TO DEVELOP THE NEXT GENERATION OF CONSERVATIVE VOICES
Similarly, an apparent Kirk look-alike contest is being advertised at the University of South Carolina for Thursday. The university said on social media that it has "no record of any registered student organization planning such an event. No university resources will be used to support this."