The ETSU chapter of Turning Point USA will host Kyle Rittenhouse on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. to allow him to share his perspective of the events that unfolded on Aug. 25, 2020.

In August 2020, Rittenhouse, 17-years-old at the time, traveled to Kenosha, Wisconsin, to protest the civil unrest that had erupted. When he arrived, Rittenhouse was armed with an AR-15 which he used to protest the unrest. He then used that weapon to fatally shoot two men. In November 2021, Rittenhouse was acquitted in a Kenosha court of the two murder charges out of self-defense. His acquittal sparked political controversy leading citizens to believe that he should never have been charged and some to think he should still be charged today.

Kyle Rittenhouse holds an AR-15 as he walks down a street in Kenosha, Wisconsin (Contributed/New York Times).

“It was not the smart decision to go to a Black Lives Matter riot at 17-years-old…The moral of [Kyle’s] story is that he shouldn’t have had to go,” TPUSA President Lakie Derrick said. “We’re trying to show that these soft-on-crime Democrat policies that are allowing the riots and burning down of buildings, the destruction of people’s safety and livelihood; that’s not what is good for American citizens.”

“The lies perpetuated in the media that Kyle went there purposely to kill black people or to harm black people are actually a farce,” explains Derrick. “He went there to administer aid and he did administer aid. It was only until he put out two dumpster fires in a row that were trying to light up a gas station, was he then attacked and he had to act in self-defense.”

Since the announcement of TPUSA hosting Rittenhouse, the organization has received a lot of backlash. Many online users took to Instagram, TikTok, Reddit and YikYak to share their dislike to Rittenhouse’s appearance.

“Just by the nature of the events surrounding Kyle Rittenhouse and by the nature of what Turning Point USA at ETSU is…I was expecting a little bit [of backlash], but I was definitely not expecting this wide scale to the point where it’s probably the most talked about thing that I’ve heard or seen on Facebook and on our Instagram in an extremely long time,” said Derrick.

Users took to social media platforms to encourage other users to reserve as many tickets as possible. Their hopes are to reserve seats and not attend leaving an empty audience. As of Jan. 25, Derrick shared that they had over 13,000 ticket reservations for Rittenhouse’s event; however, she is aware that many of these ticket holders may not attend. Due to the strong ticket demand, the event location has been moved to the Brinkley Center.

Other groups on-campus disagree with TPUSA hosting Rittenhouse. On Jan. 27, the ETSU chapter of Young Democratic Socialists of America released a statement.

The logo for YDSA at ETSU (Contributed/YDSA at ETSU).

“YDSA will not allow this event and the platforming of this hate-filled individual to go unnoticed. YDSA is currently planning several events in response to Rittenhouse’s appearance on our campus. YDSA prioritizes the security of all students regardless of their cultural backgrounds,” stated YDSA.

The group made demands emphasizing security during current and future controversial events, a rewriting of ETSU’s hate speech policy presented in an open forum with members of university leadership present, a written statement from ETSU President Brian Noland and the Student Government Association condemning Rittenhouse’s appearance and reevaluation of ETSU’s event hosting approval process.

Derrick explained that ETSU Campus Safety and the Gray Police Department will be guarding the event location. Additionally, a clear bag policy is in place and there will be metal detectors at the entrance to the event.

“Turning Point USA at East Tennessee State University is completely its own organization, we act as a chapter here on our college campus, but everything that we do is not sponsored by the school,” said Derrick.

While ETSU has not made an official statement regarding the event, WCYB reported that ETSU disclosed to them, “ETSU cannot legally prohibit the event under the U.S. Constitution and state law. ETSU may only cancel an event if it poses a legitimate threat to public safety.” The event is sponsored by a student organization, not the university. ETSU is a public space and, as a public university, has a responsibility to support free speech as outlined in the State of Tennessee’s Campus Free Speech Protection Act and the University Free Speech Policy.

For more information about this event and TPUSA at ETSU, visit their Instagram @tpusaetsu.

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