A memorial for Charlie Kirk, a right-wing political activist killed at UVU earlier this week, was held at Memorial Park in Provo at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 12.
Over 1,000 people gathered to hear words of comfort and hope as speakers emphasized messages of faith. The crowd cheered, clapped and stood close together, discussing quietly in groups or paying attention to the stage where a small memorial had been set up. People from all different walks of life and areas in Utah came together to honor Kirk's life.
“All of us can’t seem to get over it, we’re heartbroken,” Julie Fambrough, an attendee, said. Fambrough was accompanied by her husband, daughter and grandchildren.
“How could we not come, you know? We’re happy to be here,” she said.
Colleen Bascom-Taylor, a representative of Latinos in Action and Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives (MMIR), spoke on the importance of Kirk's message.
“Right now our young people are saying, 'well, the adults are supposed to fix this.' That’s why Charlie’s message was so important. He was so focused on the kids,” Bascom-Taylor said.
Red "Make America Great Again" hats dotted the crowd. Others had American flags cradled in their arms. Men, women and children stayed at the memorial till the sky grew dark and the hundreds of candles were the only illumination.
Children played in the grass, many not understanding the solemnity of the occasion. One girl held a candle and began singing to herself, “happy birthday,” and blew it out.
“I feel like he’s lit a fire in me,” Hannah Anderson, an attendee, said as she stood with her husband and children. “I need to be a better Christian, spouse and mother.”
Anderson described her past self as being on the fence between political parties until her husband, a strong conservative, began to share Kirk's messages with her.
The sentiments of the vigil were ones of faith and hope, but also a desire to make a change. The memorial closed with students bearing their testimonies about Jesus Christ and Kirk's influence on their lives.
“His death won’t be in vain. We’ll keep that memory always,” Bascom-Taylor said.