Hundreds of demonstrators protest Kyle Rittenhouse event at University of Memphis

On Wednesday evening, as Kyle Rittenhouse prepared to speak at the UC Theatre at the University of Memphis, roughly 200 people gathered outside to protest his appearance.

In August 2020, a 17-year-old Rittenhouse shot and killed two demonstrators in Kenosha, Wisconsin, and injured a third, who had been protesting the shooting of a Black man by a white police officer. He claimed self-defense and was acquitted of criminal accusations in fall 2021, but became a divisive figure across the country.

And many U of M students and community members were furious he was speaking at the university.

One protester held up a sign that said, “Put Rittenhouse behind bars not a podium,” while another’s display said, “Murderers don’t belong here.” A third sign said, “Face of a Weenie,” next to photos of Rittenhouse, and a fourth said, “No one should be open to: Racism, Christo-Fascism, Murderous Little Shits.”

As the crowd grew, a group walked up holding signs and chanting, “No Justice, no peace.” They continued their chants periodically, and someone banged along on a trash can like it was a drum.

Watch:Kyle Rittenhouse storm out of University of Memphis event amid questions

The protesters congregated near the entrance to the UC Theatre ― part of the University Center ― which was blocked off by several campus police vehicles and metal fencing, and guarded by both campus police and state troopers. A line of people attending the event began to form shortly after 6 p.m., behind the fencing.

The event started around 7 p.m., but the protesters continued to stand out and chant, even after the doors were closed. As the sun began to set and the air cooled, a saxophonist and drummer started performing.

How we got here

In the days leading up to Kyle Rittenhouse’s talk at the University of Memphis on Mar. 20, the institution was inundated with complaints from students, alumni, and community members who were furious he had been invited to speak.

U of M wasn’t sponsoring the event; it had been arranged by the student chapter of the conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA. The school also maintained that it was legally required to let Rittenhouse talk, per the First Amendment and Tennessee’s Campus Free Speech Act.

But this didn’t assuage people who were upset, and in response to concerns, U of M released a statement earlier this month, reiterating that it was following the law. It asserted that “the expression of different ideas and opinions plays an important role in maintaining a diverse campus environment that is open and inclusive.” And it encouraged people to remain peaceful and respectful, however they may feel about Rittenhouse’s appearance.

“It is essential that these discussions take place while maintaining a safe environment on our campus,” U of M said, in the statement. “Speech that includes threats, harassment, or attempts to incite violence is not protected under the First Amendment and is strongly prohibited by the university.”

The university also noted that campus police services had “a comprehensive plan” to address potential safety concerns related to the event and that it was working with local law enforcement and providing additional security staffing before, during, and after it ended.

Why people showed up

On Wednesday night, The Commercial Appeal asked several demonstrators what had spurred them to come protest.

Alexis Kershaw, a U of M senior, said, “I’m Black, so I feel like that was really enough,” then added that she was a part of organizations that had been discussing peacefully protesting, like the Black Student Association.

Emily Estrada, a U of M freshman who was there with Memphis Wesley ― a campus ministry associated with the United Methodist Church ― felt that what Rittenhouse did “wasn’t right.”

“There are people who have gone to jail for far less worse crimes,” she said.

Also there with Memphis Wesley was Tondala Hayward, the group’s pastor, who explained that it was important for the ministry to be there because it was focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

But while most of the crowd seemed to be protesting the Rittenhouse event, there were people there who appeared to support him ― or at least weren’t staunchly opposed to the event. And there were some who had acquired tickets for his talk well in advance, only to be denied entrance on Wednesday night.

The morning of the event, U of M had announced that people would have to re-register for tickets and that the ones they had previously gotten were invalid. Charles Thompson said he hadn’t been informed of the need to receive a new ticket and was frustrated. He had initially gotten a ticket two weeks ago.

“Now they’re telling us we can’t get in,” he said. “It was obviously a tactic to dissuade supporters of free speech and the second amendment from showing up and showing their support.”

Like Thompson, Ronald Cortez Herd II had gotten a ticket in advance, about eight days ago, but was not able to enter.

“I think it’s weird that we say we love freedom of expression and freedom of speech, but we don’t really practice what we preach as a country,” he said. “I’m not a fan [of Kyle Rittenhouse], but I’m also not a hater either. I don’t have any type of ill will towards the man. He went through the legal process. It’s not about if he’s innocent or guilty. The burden of proof was not met by the prosecution, so they had to let him go.”

On Twitter, formerly known as X, photos surfaced of flyers that said a “9MM beats 911 every time,” which people said were being passed out inside the event. A video on X showed demonstrators who had gotten tickets to the event booing, shouting at, and questioning Rittenhouse. Another X video showed some protesters running towards and shouting at people leaving the event after it was over.

Who is Kyle Rittenhouse?

Prior to 2020, Rittenhouse was a relatively unknown teenager.

But that August, protests in Kenosha erupted after Jacob Blake, a Black resident in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was shot and seriously wounded by a white police officer named Rusten Sheskey. As The New York Times reported, hundreds of demonstrators marched through the city’s downtown area, calling for Sheskey’s arrest, and dozens of people in the crowd set fire to cars, looted and burned buildings, and knocked down streetlamps. Wisconsin’s governor, Tony Evers, sent members of the National Guard in to assist Kenosha’s police officers.

On Aug. 25, 2020, the third day of protests, Rittenhouse arrived in Kenosha, with a semiautomatic rifle that was purchased for him by a friend, as he was too young to buy it legally. Rittenhouse had come from Illinois to get to Kenosha, alleging he was there to protect local businesses and serve as a medic.

Per The New York Times, Rittenhouse was at one point chased into a used car lot by one of the protesters, Joseph Rosenbaum, who had no weapon. Rittenhouse fatally shot him and ran away, towards armored vehicles of police officers and National Guardsmen. Several members of the crowd pursued him, and he shot two of them, killing Anthony Huber and wounding Gaige Grosskreutz, who was holding a pistol.

Rittenhouse was charged with five felony counts, including two counts of first-degree intentional homicide. During the trial in November 2021, Rittenhouse claimed that he feared for his life and acted in self-defense, and after about 26 hours of deliberation, the jury seemed to agree with him. In a controversial ruling, Rittenhouse was found not guilty of homicide or the other charges.