WKU issues statement regarding future Kyle Rittenhouse event on campus
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Western Kentucky University has released a statement about an event where Kyle Rittenhouse will speak on campus on Wednesday, March 27.
The event, hosted by Turning Point USA at Western Kentucky University, will include Rittenhouse speaking “about the importance of the Second Amendment and the lies of BLM,” according to TPUSA’s website.
According to the Associated Press, Rittenhouse was “acquitted of killing two people and wounding a third during a 2020 protest against racism and police brutality in Kenosha, Wisconsin, after testifying he acted in self-defense.”
In a statement, WKU stated the following on Thursday regarding the event:
“Since this event is not sponsored by WKU, we do not have any additional details to share. You are encouraged to contact the event’s organizers with any questions. While WKU’s commitment to free speech includes allowing groups to invite guests to campus, that does not mean that the university supports, endorses or agrees with the views of those individuals.”
The event is set to take place at Downing Student Union at 7 p.m., according to TPUSA at Western Kentucky University’s post on X.
On an event page on social media, the BG Freedom Walkers in Bowling Green, Kentucky have announced a “counter protest” in response to TPUSA’s planned presence on WKU’s campus.
The Black Student Alliance at WKU has also shared the following statement to its Instagram account regarding the event:
The BG Freedom Walkers protest is set to take place at the E.A. Diddle Arena parking lot near DSU the same day as TPUSA’s event, March 27.
News 40 has reached out to TPUSA at Western Kentucky University over Instagram and has not yet received a response.
News 40 will continue to share any updates as they become available.
