California Conservatives Hold โคVigils for โขCharlie Kirk Following โคUtah Shooting
SAN FRANCISCO,CA – september 13,2025 – From San Francisco’s Noe Valleyโ Park to planned events in Los Angeles County,California conservatives are mourning the death of Charlie Kirk,the 31-year-old founder of the conservative youth association Turning Point,who was shot and killed while speaking at a Utah university. Vigils and memorial events are being held across the state, drawing attendees fromโ various Republican organizations and individuals.
Approximately 80 people gathered Saturday โafternoon in Noe Valley Park for a memorial hosted by the San Francisco County Republican โParty, featuring prayers,โ eulogies, and placards promoting โคdialog. Police officersโ observedโ the event from a distance, according to reports from the San Francisco Standard.
Further south,โ the Ventura County Republican โขcommittee is organizing a “Light in the Darkness” vigil โMonday night at 6:30 p.m. at Walnutโฃ Grove โat tierra Rejada Farms in Moorpark. Organizers anticipate hundreds of attendees. Richard Lucas โIII, chair of the Ventura county Republican party, stated Kirk “plainly โspoke the truth onโ issuesโฆmakingโข himself near and dear to so manny people,” including stances โฃon the 2nd Amendment andโฃ the beginning of life. Heโค expects โขthe vigil to include prayers, the Pledge of Allegiance, and expressions of grief. “Pray for peace, pray for love,” Lucasโค said. “We no political parties don’t always see eye to eye, butโค anyโค result of violence is unequivocally unacceptable, especially political violence.”
additional vigils have been โขheld or are scheduled in Van Nuys, Beverly hills, Rancho Palos Verdes, and Huntington beach. The los Angeles Republican Party promoted a Sunday online event, “Dignityโฃ Over Violence,” hosted by the political depolarization nonprofit Braver Angels.
Kirk was a prominent, though often controversial, figure among conservative groups on college campuses. He frequentlyโ made deliberately provocative statements, including calling the Civil Rights Act a mistake โขand โฃrecently tweetingโฃ thatโ “Islam โฃis not compatible with western civilization.”
Despite his divisiveโข rhetoric, Kirk’s death has prompted widespreadโค condemnation of the violence.California Governor Gavin Newsom stated he “admired [Kirk’s] passion and commitment to debate” and called his โmurder “sick and reprehensible.” Evenโฃ the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), aโข leading Muslimโ American civilโข rights organizationโข that frequently enough opposed Kirk’s views, condemned the killing, stating that “the values that led us to oppose many of Mr. Kirk’s stances are โthe same values that lead us to condemn his murderโค and reaffirm thatโ political violence is not the answer toโค even the most hateful rhetoric.”
The shooting has sparked intense online debate, leading some Utah officials to urgeโ people to disengage from social media and “go out โฃand do good in your community.”