More than 3,500 mourners, many clad in red MAGA hats and carrying candles, gathered on the steps of the Massachusetts Statehouse to honor conservative political activist Charlie Kirk Thursday evening.
The vigil also drew a crowd of counter protesters wielding anti-facism signs, symbolizing the polarizing effect Kirk’s fatal shooting has had across the country.
The assassination of Kirk, a Christian nationalist known for debating students at college campuses, has galvanized communities nationwide, sparking a wave of vigils organized by his supporters, churches and college groups.
Vigil organizer Brian Foley decided to hold the event after receiving a call from a member of the Suffolk University chapter of Turning Point USA, the national conservative youth organization founded by Kirk.
The caller told Foley he was afraid “someone was going to attack him,” a concern that motivated Foley to act.
“Once I got a 22-year-old calling me … I was like, ‘I’ll be right there,’ even if I’m not an elected official,” Foley said.
Foley, a Republican Boston City Council candidate who lost the District 2 race to Councilor Ed Flynn in the recent preliminary election, said he hopes Kirk’s death will be a “wake-up call” to a divided country.
“Boston needs to find a middle ground,” Foley said. “We can’t hate Republicans, and you can’t hate Democrats anymore. We’ve got to come together.”
Bob, a 35-year-old who works in customer support and commuted from New Hampshire for the vigil, requested to go by a pseudonym due to fear of sharing his political views.
“If people knew I was here, I’m afraid I’d lose friends, maybe [get] some threats,” Bob said. “I’ve seen a lot of people actually say they’re happy [Kirk’s] dead.”
He said he was surprised a conservative gathering of such magnitude was taking place in a “blue area.”
“You never see that in Boston ever,” Bob said. “It’s such an anti-Christian, anti-right wing place.”
Throughout the night, counter-protesters verbally clashed with vigil attendees, chanting “no justice, no peace” and calling the vigil attendees “Nazis.”
The two groups were physically separated by a heavy Boston police presence and barricades. Police arrested two protesters — one for disorderly conduct and another, a juvenile, for battery and assault.
Mike, a 30-year-old health care worker who preferred to go by his first name over safety concerns for his job, attended the protest because he thought it was “insulting” to hold a vigil for someone who disseminated hate.
“Just because an evil thing happened to that person does not make their actions more innocent,” Mike said. “Trying to memorialize them is an insult to the people that Charlie Kirk has worked to directly discriminate against.”
Kirk’s public espousal of his views on gender, race and gun control often drew controversy. His frequent criticism of the LGBTQ+ community, diversity initiatives and the separation of church and state have triggered outrage among liberal communities.
Mike said the majority of his friends are gay and transgender, and they “personally felt a lot of the hatred” Kirk spread over the years.
Foley said he had “no ill will” toward the protestors and was overall satisfied with the turnout of the event, adding he “couldn’t have asked for anything better than this moment right here.”
“I don’t have any ill words against them for voicing their opinions in America,” Foley said. “That’s Charlie’s whole message.”
The vigil featured an array of guest speakers, including Chester Tam, a 2024 Massachusetts Republican National Convention delegate, and Lisa Adams, chair of the Plymouth chapter of the Massachusetts Moms for Liberty.
Tam encouraged conservatives, especially young ones, to rally and vote in support of local Republican candidates.
“We need to bring some balance in this state,” Tam said. “I don’t advocate for saying that we need full control, but we need balance in order to have some type of government that we can believe in in this state.”
Aidan Burns, Suffolk University TPUSA vice president, also spoke during the vigil.
“In the wake of this absolute tragedy happening, the enemy, the left, wants us to be divided,” he said. “They want us to be quiet, but I wouldn’t call 50,000 new chapter requests for Turning Point USA quiet.”
Many speeches also made references to the Bible, with Lifeline Baptist Church Pastor Chris DiGiacomo referring to John 12:24.
“The Scripture talks about a seed that dies, but when it dies, it brings forth much fruit. Friends, I’m telling you right now, Charlie died, but you are the fruit of his death,” he said.
Realtor and YouTuber Mike Urban, who spoke during the vigil, said the attendees were not there just to mourn Kirk but to “carry his message on.”
“They may have been able to silence the messenger, but they’re never gonna kill Charlie’s message,” he said. “Look at everybody that’s holding the candles, everybody that’s standing arm to arm here today, behind enemy lines in Boston.”
