People are already predicting what might happen in response to news that a statue of the late far-right activist Charlie Kirk is set to debut in Times Square in September.
Kirk was assassinated in September while speaking at a university in Utah; the suspect was caught after a two-day manhunt and has since been charged.
Italian sculptor Sergio Furnari is seeking public support for a statue honoring Kirk, which he plans to unveil on September 10, marking the first anniversary of Kirk's death. Furnari has been developing models of the memorial since last year following Kirk's assassination, documenting the creative process and his motivations in a series of Instagram videos.
The statue depicts a seated Kirk with microphone in hand, much as he appeared at many events on college campuses when he was alive.
You can see video of the statue below.
The statue is undoubtedly controversial considering who Kirk was and what he stood for.
The Trump administration has used Kirk's death as an opportunity to crack down on free speech rights—moves coming into sharper focus since late-night host Jimmy Kimmel was temporarily taken off the air—and targeting and blaming leftists for Kirk's murder even though the shooter is aligned with the far-right.
The Trump administration and their surrogates have also accused leftists of celebrating Kirk's death while themselves casting Kirk as a visionary, even going so far as to unfurl a banner bearing Kirk's likeness at the Department of Education. Kirk was an avowed white supremacist who resented the existence of the Civil Rights Act.
Kirk thoroughly supported the implementation of a Christian theocracy as outlined in Project 2025 and was instrumental to swinging young voters in Trump's favor while normalizing fascist rhetoric and campaigning against women's rights and LGBTQ+ acceptance.
He also claimed higher education is a "scam," was prominent among conservatives who have argued for years that college degrees no longer guarantee bright futures, and criticized what they perceive as an emphasis on "social justice" and "indoctrination."
Given these facts, many predict it's only a matter of time before it's vandalized.
September will be here before we know it. We also don't imagine this statue lasting long.
@JamesTate121/X
