University Group Faces Harassment Post-Assassination
PHOENIX — After the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, members of the organization’s university chapter are standing their ground despite serious incidents of harassment and intimidation.
Amy Rose Lombardo, events coordinator for the Northern Arizona University Chapter of TPUSA, shared her experiences at America Fest, the group’s annual conference. She noted the hostile environment following Kirk’s death on September 10 during a speaking event at Utah Valley University, where they’ve encountered a significant rise in uncivil behavior.
“We’ve definitely seen some more intense protest tactics,” Lombardo remarked. She recounted a disturbing incident where a woman approached their table and left behind a note that depicted Kirk’s murder along with phrases about freedom of speech, including the chilling notion that “only good Nazis are dead Nazis.”
The note also contained a graphic illustration, showing blood spilling from the neck of a person holding a microphone.
In another troubling episode, a woman disrupted one of their events by swiping a foam board featuring Ronald Reagan from their display. “It was kind of surreal,” Lombardo reflected. “She just showed up from nowhere, and when her sister greeted her, she smiled, wiped down the table, and walked off.”
Lombardo reported that the group filed a complaint with Northern Arizona University’s police department regarding these incidents. The woman involved in the table theft faced charges for theft and disorderly conduct. Lombardo supported the police and university’s actions in response to these disturbances.
Despite the ongoing challenges, Lombardo remains resolute. “For me, being part of Turning Point means standing up for the truth and what you believe in,” she asserted. “If we lose hope and give up, then what future do we have in America?”
She added that witnessing the aggressive behavior from opponents gave her pause, expressing sympathy for those who resort to such hostility, and even mentioned praying for them.
“I sincerely hope they find a way to escape the negativity that seems to cloud their lives,” Lombardo said. “We may not agree, but I feel they are simply misguided.” She encouraged others to have the courage to advocate for their beliefs.
“To anyone hesitating about joining this movement, I say, if you don’t step up, then who will?”
The political left has intensified its opposition to Turning Point in light of Kirk’s assassination, and interest in conservative movements seems to have surged. Other similar groups are also facing similar backlash.
In related incidents, a teaching assistant at Illinois State University was filmed knocking over a TPUSA table. This individual had been detained previously for a similar act and was arrested later by the FBI for making threats against former President Donald Trump.
Another individual was implicated in overturning a TPUSA table at the University of Iowa, having been accused of disrupting a Young America Foundation exhibit prior to that.
Northern Arizona University has chosen not to comment further on these events.
