A controversial American public figure known for infamous shootings stormed off stage after failing to answer questions about racism at an event at a university in Tennessee, USA. A viral video showed him eventually leaving without addressing questions about race-baiting comments, prompting cheers from protesters.
Kyle Rittenhouse abruptly exited the stage after facing protesters’ jeers during an event about the Second Amendment at the University of Memphis on Wednesday (March 20).
The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights and guarantees the right of the people to keep and bear arms.
The 21-year-old, who is infamous for shooting three men (two fatally) during civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020, was invited to speak about the amendment as well as the “lies of Black Lives Matter” by Turning Point USA (TPUSA), HuffPost reported.
Kyle Rittenhouse stormed off stage after failing to answer questions about racism
Image credits: Gage Skidmore
TPUSA is a conservative nonprofit organization in the US that advocates for free market principles and limited government. It primarily focuses on mobilizing and organizing young conservatives on college campuses through activism, events, and educational programs.
Students present at the event recalled the moment the event quickly plunged into disorder, as Kyle didn’t give a speech but instead went straight into a Q&A session he was incapable of upholding.
University of Memphis student Madelyn Bush told local Tennessee outlet Action News 5: "We cannot let him control our voices.
"We need to speak our own voices, our own narrative. A peaceful narrative."
Image credits: WFLA
Another student, Carla Vanschaick, who came to hear Kyle speak, said: “We want to know his story.
“There’s a lot of misinformation.
“I’m just curious to hear from him what he’s been through.”
Less than half of the UC Theater, where the event took place, was filled, according to some students. They say about 50 to 60 people were inside, as per Action News 5.
Kyle faced protesters’ jeers during an event about the Second Amendment at the University of Memphis
A now-viral video from Kyle’s appearance shared on X (formerly known as Twitter) showed the gun rights advocate shut down when asked about TPUSA’s CEO Charlie Kirk’s history of race-baiting comments, as per HuffPost.
Race-baiting refers to the use of racially provocative language, actions, or imagery to evoke strong emotions, often for political gain or to stir up tensions and divisions based on race.
The latest example of Charlie's race-baiting occurred in January when he said on his The Charlie Kirk Show: "If I see a Black pilot, I'm gonna be like, 'Boy, I hope he is qualified.'"
According to Newsweek, the 30-year-old right-wing political activist later added, "[It is] not who I am, that's not what I believe," but he said he was being made to react that way because he felt policies adopted by major companies regarding ethnic minorities meant less-qualified people were being given jobs with significant responsibility, including airline pilots.
Image credits: benpdeeter
One of the questioners at the university event listed some of Charlie’s problematic comments, including the Black pilot debacle, as well as how he had denounced Juneteenth and Martin Luther King Jr. Day and called Supreme Court Justice Kentanji Brown Jackson an affirmative action hire.
When pressed if those statements were racist, Kyle arrogantly replied: “I don’t know anything about that.”
The audience could be seen erupting in boos while the voice behind the viral clip shouted: “It’s a yes or no question, Kyle!”
Kyle was invited to speak about the amendment as well as the “lies of Black Lives Matter” by Turning Point USA
Image credits: benpdeeter
The initial questioner put more pressure and emphasized: “After all the things I just told you, would you consider that hate speech?”
To which Kyle finally replied: “I’m not going to comment on that.”
The person filming went on to repeatedly yell: “Deflection.”
Seemingly uncomfortable with the unexpected backlash, Kyle was seen throwing a hand up before walking off stage, prompting protesters to break into cheers.
On August 25, 2020, when he was 17, Kyle shot three men during the civil unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, that followed the shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man, by a police officer.
At the time, Kyle armed himself with an AR-15-style rifle before joining a group of armed citizens in Kenosha who had said they were there to protect local businesses.
In 2021, Kyle was acquitted at his trial after testifying that he had acted in self-defense. A jury had weighed two counts of homicide, one count of attempted homicide, and two counts of reckless endangerment, finding him not guilty on all charges.
"His past will always follow him," a reader commented
