Protesters Target Rittenhouse, Attendees At University Of Memphis Event

Despite his acquittal on all charges and video evidence that appeared to support his claim that he acted in self-defense, Kyle Rittenhouse has been characterized as an unrepentant killer and far-right extremist by critics since he opened fire on a trio of demonstrators at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 2020. 

He has received some support from conservative organizations, however, including Turning Point USA, which invited him to speak at the University of Memphis earlier this week.

The event soon devolved into a shouting match as irate attendees hammered him with accusatory questions and ending in cheers from many in the crowd when he finally walked off stage. His exit was heralded as a victory by many critics on social media, although he later asserted that he was not forced to cut his appearance short.

“The event was scheduled for 30 minutes,” he said. “I spoke for 30 minutes and then my security team told the coordinator that we were leaving after the question and we left. I stayed for the scheduled time.”

Outside of the venue, even more hecklers gathered to taunt and jeer those who came to support Rittenhouse. Clips of the disorderly mob included shouts of profanities aimed at attendees and chants of “no justice, no peace.”

According to the group that organized the event, a plan had been underway for several days — with backing from the university — to force Rittenhouse to cancel his appearance. 

In a statement, Turning Point USA accused the University of Memphis of taking “unprecedented actions to undermine our event,” noting that individuals who had reserved tickets subsequently received updates that their seats were no longer available.

“Seizing control of seating arrangements and the ticketing system — on the day of the event — has never happened in our many years of campus organizing,” said group spokesperson Andrew Kolvet. “This abrupt change will result in hundreds of disappointed students whose tickets will no longer grant them entrance into the venue.”

Upon arriving, even event organizers were reportedly told they had only been granted eight seats after being promised access to more than four dozen.

The last-minute ticketing change was a clear effort to allow protesters to seize control of the event, Kolvet argued. 

“There is no way these groups could have known the new ticketing timing and protocol without school administrators leaking that information,” he said.