A mass of people held candles and recited prayers as they gathered at the front steps of the Manitoba Legislative Building Tuesday evening to honour the life of Charlie Kirk, calling him a martyr.
The 31-year-old American conservative activist was shot during a speaking event at a Utah university on Sept. 10.
Those who gathered Tuesday night praised Kirk for his advocacy for his values.
“Dear Father, we stand before you in remembrance and honour of our martyr Charlie Kirk, who was taken from us while spreading the word of God,” said Collin Watson, a former People’s Party of Canada candidate, who gave the opening prayer.
The crowd — an estimated 1,500 people, legislature security staff said — held up signs declaring support for Kirk and his values, and some wrapped themselves in American and Canadian flags as they listened to speakers recite Bible verses.
Chants of “Charlie! Charlie! Charlie!” preceded a minute of silence. The crowd also sang Amazing Grace and the U.S. anthem at another point.
Charlie Kirk remembered at Winnipeg vigil
People in Winnipeg gathered outside the Manitoba Legislative Building on Tuesday evening to honour the life of Charlie Kirk, the U.S. conservative activist who was shot last week. Legislature security estimates about 1,500 people were in attendance.
David Zacharias, who wore a T-shirt that said, “We Are All Charlie Kirk Now,” drew cheers and applause as he said Kirk’s legacy has been called by some equal to the late Billy Graham and Martin Luther King, Jr., both of whom were preachers.
A sign is held up as speakers address the crowd at Tuesday’s gathering. (Justin Fraser/CBC)
Zacharias also lauded Kirk’s “no-holds-barred, unapologetically conservative, freedom-loving point of view” and called him Americas’s hardest-working grassroots activist.
Kirk had more than 10 million followers on Instagram, and used his popularity to debate people on all kinds of issues, from immigration to abortion.
He co-founded the conservative organization Turning Point USA in 2012, a key force in building support among younger voters for U.S. President Donald Trump and his MAGA movement, published a range of books and hosted The Charlie Kirk Show, a talk radio program.
Kirk used his platforms to rail against liberal viewpoints on subjects as varied as gun control, climate change, the civil rights movement and 2SLGBTQ+ issues.
“Charlie was on the front lines of America’s cultural war, mobilizing hundreds of thousands of students over 3,500 college and high school campuses across the country, bringing your daily dose of clarity in a sea of chaos,” said Zacharias.
He described Kirk as believing Christian moral values and the Ten Commandments should influence lawmaking and public policy.
“I couldn’t agree more,” he said.
The message on the flipside of the sign with the large red cross. (Justin Fraser/CBC)
Someone tried to silence Kirk’s messages but instead created a whole new wave of Charlies, said Winnipegger Nate Roopchand, who attended the event.
“He was a strong family person. He was trying to restore order, restore God’s love. Whatever Charlie Kirk said and lived, it was true.”
Lisa Chenier said she attended Tuesday’s vigil to support the values of free speech and to defend her kids’ right to speak their own minds.
Speakers stand on the front steps of the Manitoba Legislative Building Tuesday evening. (Rosanna Hempel/CBC)
“Charlie was one of those guys, whether you agree with him or not, that just impacted youth across the world. He was using venues like the university to spread, in my opinion and maybe not everybody’s opinion, the truth, and it ended up in devastation,” she said.
“My daughter’s a youth, my son’s a young man, and it was important to come out today to say, you know what, conversation can happen peacefully. I don’t want the kids to fear going out and perhaps speaking about something that they’re passionate about.”
A Utah man, Tyler Robinson, 22, faces multiple charges, including aggravated murder, in connection with Kirk’s assassination.
Prosecutors in the United States have said they intend to seek the death penalty.