Major backlash at Southern university after students plastered halls with posters for Charlie Kirk anniversary celebration

Fury has erupted at a Southern university after students plastered the halls with posters for a Charlie Kirk anniversary celebration.

The signs advertising a ‘Kirkaversery’ across the campus of University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UT Knoxville), mocked the assassination of the conservative-right activist exactly one year ago.

‘We will celebrate the first new year AK (After Kirk),’ the poster read. ‘Not associated with Jerk for Kirk.’

While it remains unclear who is responsible for putting up the posters, conservatives are outraged by the depravity of the Knoxville students.

Republican gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn said: ‘Political violence and murder ought never be celebrated.

‘I’ve reached out to leadership and am confident they will do everything they can to ensure reverence on the anniversary of Charlie Kirk’s horrific murder.’

State Senator Brent Taylor told KWAM: ‘The assassination of Charlie Kirk was an act of political violence.

‘Faculty and students at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville or any other campus who treat his murder as something to welcome fail a basic test of decency and professional responsibility.’

Taylor is the Republican nominee for the Ninth Congressional District.

‘Disagreement with a person’s political views never justifies celebrating their killing. Educators should model restraint, not schadenfreude. Political violence is never acceptable,’ he told KWAM.

Member of the Tennessee State House of Representatives, Jason Zachary, said on X that he contacted the university’s leadership as well, condemning the stunt.

An X post by Libs of TikTok shared photos of the posters and sparked further outrage.

One user commented: ‘Disgusting behavior and very sad that there are NO adults in the room.’

Another person wrote: ‘Every student participating should be publicly identified for future employers to avoid hiring. Celebrating a man’s public execution ain’t the same as getting wasted over the weekend.’

Kerry Gardner, director of media and internal communications at UT Knoxville, told the Daily Mail in a statement: ‘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.

‘At this time, the university has not determined whether the flyers are connected to anyone affiliated with UT.

‘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.’

Today marks one year since Kirk was fatally gunned down while holding a live debate session for Turning Point USA at Utah Valley University.

Suspected shooter Tyler Robinson handed himself in to the authorities the next day and has pleaded not guilty to charges related to Kirk’s death.

The posters at UTK come only shortly after UT Knoxville made headlines earlier this year over its settlement with a professor who was fired over comments she made in the wake of Kirk’s assassination. 

The institution agreed to pay Dr Tamar Shirinian nearly $2 million to end a litigation claiming that her First Amendment rights were violated.

Shirinian was terminated for misconduct over comments she made on her personal Facebook account after Kirk was killed.

She later admitted that her comments were ‘ineloquent and heartless,’ but the settlement does not automatically reinstate her to her former position as an anthropology professor. 

The appointment must receive approval from Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. 

The Daily Mail contacted Plowman and the university’s Turning Point USA chapter for comment.