Emma Van Winkle

Kent State Tuscarawas student Frankie Alguire shows off her hand made sign to protest Kyle Rittenhouse’s appearance and speech at Kent State April 16, 2024.

Protesters outside the KIVA screamed “Get the f*** off our campus” and “shame” as attendees left pro-gun rights activist Kyle Rittenhouse campus speech Tuesday evening.

The crowd of a couple hundred people, protesting Rittenhouse’s campus visit for his event titled “The Rittenhouse Recap,” which was sponsored by conservative student group Turning Point USA, formed around 5 p.m. on the K on Risman Plaza. The group grew louder while Rittenhouse began speaking around 6:30 p.m.

Students like M Young, a sophomore early childhood education major, said they chose to take part in protesting outside of the KIVA as they felt Rittenhouse’s message endangered all children.

“I worked with kids every single day, and I think that Kyle’s hateful rhetoric endangers a variety of children whether that be [Black, Indigenous and other people of color] children, queer children, trans children,” Young said.

Young said they were disappointed in the university for allowing Rittenhouse to campus and talk.

“It really is disappointing that Kent State has allowed someone who makes so many students, who feel so unsafe, onto our campus,” they said.

As a registered student organization with the university, Kent State’s chapter of Turning Point USA was allowed to invite the speaker to campus. 

“As with any speaker invited to our campus, the university does not endorse or condone an opinion or point of view represented by the speaker, nor does the university advocate for any topic the speaker might discuss during their visit to campus,” said Emily Vincent, the university’s media relations director, in an email to KentWired. 

Frankie Alguire, a freshman business management major, echoed a similar sentiment when she said allowing Rittenhouse on campus was tone deaf to the May 4 events.

Alguire said since her parents are a little older, her dad is friends with individuals who were on campus during the events of May 4, and he views Rittenhouse’s presence as insensitive to their experiences. 

“I really don’t think they want to see a murder come to the same campus that they had to watch friends die at,” she said.

Chrystina Cannon, a mother of a former university student, said she felt Turning Point USA intentionally had Rittenhouse speak at the university because of its history with May 4 and it being a diverse school.

“I think it’s incredibly disrespectful to the survivors and those students that were killed,” Cannon said. “I think it was done purposefully so I’m here for the other side.”

To help educate those attending the protests about gun safety, they said, Zoren Kohler, a sophomore environmental studies major, and Anthony McNeil, a sophomore animation game design major at the university’s Tuscarawas regional campus, dressed up as wizards to talk about “unenlightened wand use,” which in their terms meant unprotected gun use.

Kohler said he and McNeil chose to educate attendees about unenlightened wand use as on campus there was an unenlightened wand user on campus.

“The dread Keebler elf, Kyle, has made his presence known among these lands and we are here to protest against his ways,” McNeil said.

This included allowing students to approach the wizards asking them questions about “enlightened wand use” like where “wands” are allowed and who is prohibited from using a “wand,” Kohler said.

“Enlightened wand use is something… you would not bring [a gun] in a public situation, an institution such as this,” he said. “An institution of education is not the place to have a ‘wand.’”

In addition to the wizards being present, McKenzie Levi, who identified himself as an independent public safety expert, dressed up as a knight as said he often attends protests to ensure nothing gets out of hand and turns into physical violence.

“It’s kind of like a crusader public safety thing, but I also do all the things that a crusader knight would have done in the 12th century, too,” Levi said. “I have a sword fighting club, and I do good deeds.”

Levi said he was previously able to help out by diffusing situations on campus during the 2018 open carry walk.

“Now, I’m back here again [because] I think that Kent State kind of gets picked on with some of these controversial events,” he said. “I’m here to make sure that these kids are safe.”

From these protests, Young said they noticed a sense of community between the protesters as they all stood for kindness.

“Everybody I’ve spoken to has been really kind,” they said. “I think that’s the biggest thing that we’re all here to stand against that hateful rhetoric, to stand for kindness instead.”

Turning Point USA, was contacted by KentWired for comment prior to the event, could not be reached at the time of publication.

Adriana Gasiewski is a beat reporter. Contact her at [email protected].

Lex Radde is a TV2 Reporter. Contact her at [email protected].