Charlie Kirk memorial statue vandalised in Phoenix

A newly installed memorial statue of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk was vandalised overnight in ​Phoenix on Sunday, according to the organisation that ‌he founded. The statue was defaced with red paint, according to a post on X from Tyler Bowyer, chief operating officer of ​Turning Point Action, the youth-focused political organisation founded ​by Kirk. Phoenix police confirmed they had responded to ⁠calls on Sunday morning regarding a vandalised memorial ​outside the headquarters of Turning Point and asked anyone with ​information to call. “This morning we woke up to radical criminals vandalising our headquarters, ” Bowyer posted on X, along with photos of the ​statue and a separate sign that also had ​been spray-painted. The statue was unveiled on Thursday to mark one year since ‌Kirk ⁠was fatally shot during a Turning Point event in Utah on September 10, 2025. The man accused of killing Kirk, Tyler Robinson, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges ​and could face ​the death ⁠penalty if convicted. Kirk’s activism and legacy divided many in the country. Civil rights advocates criticised ​Kirk for rhetoric they called racist, anti-immigrant, ​transphobic, ⁠and misogynistic, citing his public remarks denigrating Black Americans, LGBTQ+ communities, Muslims and immigrants. His supporters described him as a ⁠defender of ​conservative values and public debate ​who galvanised young voters for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.

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