By Andrew Stanton
Copyright newsweek
Video of a “religious” student painting over a mural honoring Charlie Kirk at the University of North Carolina, Wilmington (UNCW), has gone viral on social media.Newsweek reached out to UNCW for comment via email.Why It MattersKirk, a 31-year-old conservative activist, was fatally shot during a speech at Utah Valley University on September 10 during his “American Comeback Tour,” and 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, is in custody charged with aggravated murder and other offenses. Kirk was a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump and played a key role in organizing young Republican voters.The shooting has left an increasingly polarized America divided. While his death sparked bipartisan tributes and calls for an end to mounting political violence, some Kirk critics were accused of celebrating his death. The assassination has fueled debate about cancel culture and free speech over the past week.What to KnowA video viewed more than 5.4 million times on X, shows a female student talking with other students who are watching her apply blue paint with her hand to the mural on the university’s “spirit rock” to honor Kirk.The student says she identifies as “pretty religious,” but that Kirk is “definitely not the morals” or religion she supports, adding she was “taught to love our neighbor.” Another person responded asking her if painting over the mural counts as loving her neighbor.The video was posted to X by Nick Craig, who hosts the Carolina Journal News Hour on WBT radio.”I’m not judging. It is not my right to judge, but it is not your right to judge either,” she said.Another student says that if they were judging, they would be “taking the paint can and dumping on you, but we’re not.”Another student was seen painting over the mural with white and asked if anybody wanted to move American flags out of the way.UNCW has two spirit rocks where students are allowed to paint messages. Students and faculty are “encouraged” to allow messages to remain on the rocks for 24 hours before painting over them, according to the university’s policy.UNCW responded to the incident in a statement first reported by local news station WECT.”The UNCW spirit rock is not a memorial. It is a platform for freedom of expression. Students typically paint the rock multiple times,” the statement reads.There were no charges, according to WECT.What People Are SayingUNCW officials wrote in the statement: “UNCW is proud to serve as a public university, open to the community, and committed to upholding freedom of expression in accordance with applicable laws and policies. In addition, UNCW encourages and expects students, faculty and staff to foster a respectful campus community.”Nick Craig, who hosts the Carolina Journal News Hour on WBT radio, wrote to X: “This afternoon at UNCW, the so-called ‘tolerant’ left painted over a beautiful mural honoring Charlie Kirk. In the video, one girl can be heard bragging that ‘all her friends at Chapel Hill will be proud.’ Disgusting.”Paul A. Szypula, an animator with over 300,000 followers on X, wrote: “Whoever these awful University of North Carolina Wilmington students are, who painted over the Charlie Kirk mural, need to be expelled. This is ridiculous. Shame on them.”What Happens NextConservatives have called on the students involved to be expelled, though UNCW at this point has not said they plan to take any action.Turning Point USA is set to hold a memorial for Kirk at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday.
