An Oberlin College student posted on social media that “We need to bring back political assassinations” in the wake of the murder of Charlie Kirk, a Republican political activist and commentator, during a campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Kirk was killed Sept. 10 while speaking at UVU as part of his The American Comeback Tour. The post drew immediate scrutiny as the college and campus groups weighed in on free speech, safety and civil discourse.
The student identified in the coverage as Julia Xu (they/them), a second-year student majoring in politics and international affairs, also serves on the advisory board of Oberlin College’s Gender, Sexuality and Attraction Initiatives and is a member of Students for a Free Palestine. Xu, who uses the handle @bringbacktheguillotine, made the remarks in a Social Media post tied to class experiences and political philosophy discussions.
In the class where the comments were made, Xu described how the discussion occurred during a session titled “Revolution, Socialism and Reform in China,” where students were allotted five minutes for hot takes. Xu said her comments were influenced by her studies of Chairman Mao, noting that she had learned that post-revolution, Mao favored limiting speech for those deemed “reactionaries” or capitalists, even as the Chinese leader claimed to defend the people.
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Xu later backtracked, telling The Post that she does not actually advocate for political assassinations and that she did not receive agreement from her professor or other students with the opinions she expressed in class. She said it was wrong to imply those views in her post and added that she does not condone political violence. “I do not condone political violence, and my comments were tactless,” Xu said in a subsequent statement. Xu’s post drew responses from fellow students in the class, some of whom were shocked by the framing of the discussion and the call for violence.
Xu is active on campus; beyond Students for a Free Palestine, she is involved in programming for queer, trans and women’s initiatives. The college blog that initially identified Xu and described her roles has since been removed from Oberlin’s coverage, and the university confirmed its broader stance on the incident.
Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar responded through an open letter last week, saying there is “no place for political violence in the America that I love.” She stressed that the views expressed in Xu’s post do not reflect those of the faculty member who taught the referenced class, nor do they reflect the college’s stance. “The views expressed in the student’s post do not reflect those of the faculty member who teaches the class referenced. Nor does the student’s post reflect the views of Oberlin College,” Ambar wrote.
The university’s statement, provided to The Post, reiterated that Oberlin condemns violence and emphasized a commitment to civil discourse on campus. The incident underscores ongoing debates about free speech, political violence and campus safety in higher education, as universities navigate a national landscape in which political rhetoric can quickly become a flashpoint on college campuses across the country.
The broader context remains the evolving conversation around how institutions respond when students endorse or appear to endorse violence as a means of political expression. While Xu’s statements have drawn swift institutional rebuke, Oberlin’s leadership has framed the episode as an occasion to reaffirm commitments to safety, inclusivity and the free exchange of ideas within civil bounds.
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