The University of Tennessee-Knoxville is condemning flyers that appear to celebrate the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. The flyers advertised a gathering on campus for a so-called "Kirkaversery," marking one year since Kirk's death, and referenced "WE WILL CELEBRATE THE FIRST NEW YEAR AK (AFTER KIRK)."
The university issued a statement to Fox News Digital asserting that it is not sponsoring any event related to Kirk's assassination and that no organization has registered to use the HSS Lawn, where the flyers indicated the gathering would occur, for such a purpose. A university spokesperson also stated that it has not yet determined if the flyers are connected to anyone affiliated with UT.
"The University of Tennessee strongly condemns any message or activity that celebrates or makes light of violence or the loss of human life," the spokesperson said. "We remain committed to ensuring our campus is a place that values civility and where human dignity is respected."
Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University. The flyers at the University of Tennessee are not the only instances of such advertisements appearing on college campuses. Similar flyers have been reported at Georgetown University, which allegedly planned a Kirk "lookalike contest" for the anniversary of his assassination. A spokesperson for Georgetown University stated that they have no record of any registered student organization planning such an event and that no university resources would be used to support it.
An apparent Kirk look-alike contest was also advertised at the University of South Carolina, with the university stating on social media that it had no record of such an event being planned by a registered student organization and would not provide university resources for it.
It remains unclear who is behind the creation and distribution of these flyers across different campuses.