$100k Charlie Kirk statue unveiling unleashes brawl in New York
To mark the anniversary of his death, Turning Point USA held a memorial at the UCCU Center at Utah Valley University
By Aaron Sugg
A $100,000 (£74,036) bronze statue of Charlie Kirk was unveiled in New York’s Times Square on Thursday (10 September) – though it didn’t come without controversy.
The 6ft 5in sculpture depicted the late Turning Point USA founder seated with a microphone and wearing a “FREEDOM” T-shirt. The moment marked the one-year anniversary of Kirk’s assassination.
The Republican political commentator was shot dead at Utah Valley University on 10 September 2025 while speaking at an outdoor campus debate.
Charlie Kirk supporters and opponents clash
One year later, his memory is still tainted by his controversial views. The tribute quickly descended into a brawl between supporters and opponents.
Kirk supporters were heckled as they arrived, with some protesters reportedly chasing them through Times Square. Tensions escalated further when one supporter was allegedly punched in the side of the head, before police intervened to break up the confrontation.
A Charlie Kirk statue is unveiled in Times Square one year after Kirk’s assassination pic.twitter.com/iJbUJrf2b8
— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) September 10, 2026
One Kirk supporter told the US Sun he had travelled to the event to “support the cause and also to spread his legacy and his name”.
He claimed Kirk was for everyone, despite his demonstrated anti-LGBTQ+ agenda. The supporter said: “Whether you’re liberal or conservative, it’s definitely wrong to shoot one of us in cold blood.”
Dan Roth, one of the protesters, said: “My political agenda is I don’t like intolerant people.” He added: “I saw a bunch of people preaching intolerance, and I felt the need to tell them that they’re not American.”
Remembering Kirk’s legacy
The statue itself was created by Italian-born artist Sergio Furnari, who spent around $100,000 of his own money on the sculpture.
Kirk’s legacy includes claiming that gay couples are trying to “corrupt” children, linking trans people to inflation, and calling for hate demonstrations, such as burning rainbow or BLM flags, to be legalised.
To mark the anniversary of his death, Turning Point USA held a memorial at the UCCU Center at Utah Valley University (UVU), called the “Freedom Built to Last Memorial”.