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FIRST ON FOX: Students at a North Carolina university defaced a tribute honoring the life of Charlie Kirk, and over the last couple of days, they have been harassing fellow students who have gathered at the site, prompting calls from students for the university to do more.
As students gathered to honor Kirk at a candlelight vigil at the University of North Carolina Wilmington on Monday night, video obtained by Fox News Digital showed a female student harassing Kirk’s supporters and walking up to the large painted rock honoring Kirk and simulating flatulating onto it.
“Can somebody get a lighter,” the student said. Another student who appeared to be with her said, “Freedom of speech.”
When a Kirk supporter said, “Jesus loves you,” the second woman turned around and pointed to her sweatshirt, which appeared to depict satanic imagery.
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“Take a peek, who is that?” The woman with the sweatshirt said before walking away.
In another video, taken the next day, a student can be seen dumping paint onto the tribute, which was painted on a rock by Kirk’s supporters.
Reagan Faulkner, president of UNCW’s chapter of College Republicans, told Fox News Digital that a vigil was held on Monday night around the rock, which is often painted by students to promote various causes, with a courtesy understanding that it be untouched for 24 hours.
Faulkner said they expected 250 people to attend, and that 750 to 1,000 people ultimately showed up.
“It was beautiful,” Faulkner said. “Absolutely honored Charlie in a wonderful way.”
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Before the 24-hour courtesy expired, Faulkner said students who oppose Kirk began threatening to paint over the mural, starting at around 6 a.m. Tuesday. Faulkner says the rock was first vandalized around 11 a.m. Tuesday.
“We told him he had to wait until 5,” Faulkner explained. “He said, ‘That’s just a courtesy. I don’t have to do anything for you fascists.’ He insulted one of our military members and called us Nazis. He and a friend later dumped paint on our members and the rock.”
Faulkner told Fox News Digital that in addition to being harassed, some of her friends were “body checked” and had paint dumped on them and that the police told them it did not rise to the level of an arrest.
“On Tuesday morning, UNCW is aware of a situation involving the spirit rock,” the school said in a statement. “According to University Police, students surrounding the rock were approached by students who wanted to repaint the rock. It started as a conversation but became confrontational as the students who wanted to revise the rock poured paint onto the rock.”
“Some students tried to prevent this action and, in the process, some of them were splashed with paint. No arrests were made in relation to this incident,” it continued. “UNCW Police advised students who expressed concern about potential assault to file a police report.”
“UNCW is proud to serve as a public university, open to the community, and committed to upholding freedom of expression in accordance with applicable laws and policies. In addition, UNCW encourages and expects students, faculty and staff to foster a respectful campus community.”
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Faulkner, who also serves as secretary of UNCW’s Turning Point USA chapter, says that ultimately, out of concern for their safety and the situation escalating, the students supporting Kirk stopped defending the mural from being painted.
“We still think it’s worth standing up, but instead of painting over it, we’re choosing to respond differently,” Faulkner said. “We’re bringing worship music, signs that say, ‘I Am Charlie Kirk,’ and we’re praying and singing. We want to live like Charlie — spread the gospel, respect free speech and still be present.”
Faulkner added, “None of us retaliated. I believe God gave us courage and peace. We want conversation, not violence. We want to pick up the mic where Charlie left it, but the other side isn’t willing. They say they don’t want division or violence, but then actions like this happen. Our takeaway is—we’re open, but they won’t talk.”
Faulkner told Fox News Digital she is not satisfied with how the university has handled the situation and that they “need to do more to protect us.”
“I know that legally, the people that were caught in the crossfire, our members that were caught in a crossfire, do have the legal right to press charges and I don’t think it was fair for UPD to tell them that they didn’t,” Faulkner said.
“And I emailed administration last Wednesday when Charlie passed that it’s been brought to my attention that a lot of our members don’t feel safe on campus, especially after what happened. And I was told you’re perfectly safe. Nobody’s gonna come after you … and then this happened. And then the police told us, like, hey, we can’t do anything. And also it’s your fault for standing in front of the rock. I think that it’s just, I think that the part blaming it on us is shameful.”
Another student who spoke to Fox News Digital also expressed the sentiment that the school should have done more to prevent the situation.
“Many of the students here, including myself, are angry, but at the same time our hearts hurt for these lost souls,” said Brendan Chafin, a student at UNCW and member of TPUSA and college Republicans.
“We just want the school to see challenges us Christian conservative students face and to take action against the students who defaced the memorial and assaulted conservative students. This needs to be done immediately to show that hate and violence against Christian conservatives does not belong on campus or in our society.”
Conservatives have been holding vigils for Kirk across the country in recent days honoring the conservative activist’s life and legacy through vigils on college campuses and in public spaces.
At the same time, conservative influencers on social media have been posting examples of students, employees, professors and politicians who have disparaged Kirk or suggested he deserved to be assassinated, which has resulted in dozens of firings.
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