CMU's Fence painted with message of tribute to Charlie Kirk
On Thursday morning, The Fence on Carnegie Mellon University’s campus was painted in tribute to conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed Wednesday during a free-speech debate on a Utah college campus.
The CMU College Republicans group painted the Fence overnight.
In white letters on a black background, “Rest in Peace Charlie Kirk” was painted on the Forbes Avenue side, while “Say No to Political Violence” was messaged on the side facing CMU’s Hunt Library.
The smell of wet paint still permeated the campus early Thursday morning.
Kirk was CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA.
CMU College Republican President Anthony Cacciato said Wednesday he was “shaken up by the news” of Kirk’s assassination.
He said the Fence’s message is meant to serve as both a vigil in honor of Kirk as well as a proclamation against political violence.
The last time CMU College Republicans painted The Fence was in 2024, following the presidential election, Cacciato said.
Members of the College Republicans gathered around 5 p.m. Wednesday at The Fence to “hold” it, which stops others from utilizing it as a message board, until they were are allowed to paint it at midnight, per CMU Fence tradition and policy.
Megan Swift is a TribLive reporter covering trending news in Western Pennsylvania. A Murrysville native, she joined the Trib full time in 2023 after serving as editor-in-chief of The Daily Collegian at Penn State. She previously worked as a Jim Borden Scholarship intern at the Trib for three summers. She can be reached at mswift@triblive.com.
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