Hundreds of Cal Poly students and San Luis Obispo County residents packed into the Performing Arts Center on the Cal Poly campus Monday evening for a memorial honoring Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist who was assassinated earlier this month.
Two local Turning Point USA Chapters — one based at the university and the other for SLO County — hosted the event after fundraising almost $6,000 for the memorial.
Cal Poly TPUSA president Ryan Rundle said his goal with the memorial was to bring the community together — despite political biases.
“We're really just trying to focus on uniting as a community, making sure that, regardless of the politics, we just come together,” Rundle said.
San Luis Obispo County District Attorney Dan Dow spoke at the event. In his 80-plus-minute speech to the crowd, he said he wanted to inspire the students who came to the memorial.
He said that as a former Cal State University student, he remembers feeling singled out for his conservative beliefs.
“I want to encourage these young students to be like Charlie Kirk," Dow said. "To be courageous about their beliefs, to be willing to speak up in the classroom where they might feel like they're a minority view."
Anthony Dovidio is a master’s student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He spent Monday evening at the event.
“While I didn't agree with all that Charlie Kirk said," Dovidio said. "I did agree with the spirit that he stood for, which was an open dialogue and conversation."
Deborah McCain drove from Paso Robles to attend. She said she was waiting for an event like this.
“When I saw the memorial for him on Sunday on the TV, I said, 'God, give me an opportunity to be part of this in person,'” McCain said.
The event had many security measures in place, including drones, dogs, and metal detectors.
Though some attendees said they were concerned about potential protestors, none were present at the event.
“Well, I wasn't sure what I was going to expect, and I am pleasantly surprised,” Schloo, an Arroyo Grande resident, said. “I'm glad he has the backing of, you know, California, and that's rare.”
