Lara Trump, Charlie Kirk "Culture War" talk draws protests at NC State campus

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Thursday, November 14, 2019
Lara Trump, Charlie Kirk speech draws protests at NC State
A speech by President Trump's daughter-in-law at NC State University is met with fierce protests Wednesday night.

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A speech by President Trump's daughter-in-law at NC State University is met with fierce protests Wednesday night.

Lara Trump spoke with Charlie Kirk, the founder of conservative nonprofit Turning Point USA, in Raleigh at an event titled, "Culture War."

Hundreds attended the "No Hate at NC State" event Wednesday night. The protests started at Wolf Plaza and continued inside the Talley Student Union where the event was being held. Protesters shouted from the first floor up to the second to try and get the attention of the people waiting in line.

"Isn't this great?" said Joe, who was attending the 'Culture War' event. "One party is down there expressing their views peacefully and we're up here expressing ourselves peacefull; that's what America is about."

Henry Hardigan, a junior at NC State, was holding a sign during the protest.

"I'm so happy that NC State stood up to racism and followed through with exactly what we got here tonight: 'No Hate at NC State,'" said Hardigan.

The event comes two days after a clash inside 'Free Expression Tunnel' at NC State with the son of Congressman Dan Bishop, Jack.

Jack said he was advertising for Wednesday's event.

"They harassed multiple of our members and I stood my ground because we didn't want to allow them to deface the work we've done and for that, I was spray-painted in the eye," Jack said.

Others who were in the expression tunnel when that spray painting incident happened said it was important to speak out.

"We know the events across the country that Turning Point has hosted--specifically ones with Charlie Kirk and Lara Trump and the 'Culture War' series-- has attracted violent white supremacists," said Enzo Niebuhr, a sophomore. "We have to be here to demonstrate against it or otherwise it threatens the safety of the most marginalized on our campus."