Turning Point USA—a group known for a demonstration where students wore diapers to own the libs and for making racist remarks about black women having children out of wedlock—is holding a lecture at N.C. State featuring guests Charlie Kirk and Lara Trump on Wednesday night.
Students are not happy about it. More importantly, they’re trying to stop it.
Stop Hate at NC State—a coalition formed from campus social justice groups such as the Young Democratic Socialists of America, Smash Racism Raleigh, and Planned Parenthood Generation Action—have circulated a petition to keep students’ tuition from providing facilities for “such unacceptable and dangerous hatred on [their] campus.”
So far, it’s garnered more than one thousand signatures.
“Both Turning Point USA and the speakers promote hate speech against various protected groups,” the petition reads. “As students, we strongly believe our tuition money should not go to providing security and space for an event which threatens students’ safety and has a severe impact on a secure learning environment. NC State Administration should stand with their students, not against them.”
Kirk’s greatest hits include creating a Red Scare-esque “professor watchlist” to keep an eye on college professors they believe are promoting “leftist propaganda,” spreading conspiracy theories, and being a chronic over-user of the 🤔 emoji on Twitter. Lara Trump is the wife of Eric Trump and works on Trump’s reelection team.
The protest will begin at 5:30 p.m. in Wolf Plaza, beside Talley Student Union, according to the Facebook event page. Students hope the university will revoke permission for this event to take place on campus, in accordance with its policies on diversity and safety.
Kirk and Lara Trump’s “culture war” lecture is set to take place at 7:00 p.m.
Contact digital content editor Sara Pequeño at spequeno@indyweek.com.
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