PLYMOUTH, Mass. – A vigil held Sunday night in Plymouth to honor right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, was briefly disrupted by a protester who was afterward arrested for disorderly conduct. Approximately 100 people attended the vigil,organized to offer support to Kirk’s family adn one another.
The gathering saw attendees singing songs, offering prayers, and sharing memories of Kirk. Hunter Young, a member of the Turning Point USA chapter in Cape Cod who met Kirk last year, emphasized the need for unity. “Come together and think of something else other than themselves,” Young said. ”We need to stop looking other side, left, right, democrat, republican. We need to say that’s a person.” He added, “That’s what it was, such a big thing he was a friend to many of us, and he stood up for us in many ways.”
Shortly before the vigil began, a protester confronted those in attendance, questioning their presence and citing Kirk’s past statements regarding minorities, women, and the LGBTQ community as hateful. The protester was overheard yelling, “Can women not be happy unless their mothers? Did you hear about that?”
A verbal altercation ensued, with the protester and others exchanging shouts and profanities. Plymouth Police intervened and arrested the protester on a charge of disorderly conduct. No further disruptions occurred during the remainder of the vigil.
The incident occurred as mourners sought to remember kirk, a prominent figure in conservative activism. He was 35 years old.