A group of students gathered on the evening of September 10 to commemorate the life of Charlie Kirk, who had been assassinated exactly one year earlier.
While the vigil on Library Mall was a somber occasion, student messages on YikYak were a different story. The anonymous messaging app, which requires a wisc.edu email address to register, was the site of numerous posts joking about the “Kirkaversary.”
The vigil was attended by about seventeen students. Two university administrators stood a few feet from the group as the memorial took place. The memorial lasted for about fifteen minutes and was led by the president of Turning Point USA UW-Madison, Zach Tomlinson. The vigil included a speech about Kirk’s legacy, a short prayer, and a moment of silence for the life of Charlie Kirk.
“This event is important because it honors Charlie, as a father, a son, a husband and most importantly a servant of God,” Tomlinson told The Federalist. “Charlie was an avid Christian and God has such a special place for him. This event not only honors his memory but is to make sure nobody forgets the impact Charlie had on this world.”
Kirk was a conservative political activist who founded the organization Turning Point USA. He was one of the most influential political leaders in the country.
On September 10, 2025, Kirk was assassinated during a public event at Utah Valley University. Tyler Robinson was arrested and charged with murder for the shooting.
Tomlinson’s speech covered Kirk’s life by recognizing him as a father and thought leader dedicated to challenging people’s beliefs through open debate. He encouraged attendees to carry on Kirk’s work by themselves, unapologetically sharing their beliefs on campus, and ended the speech with a call for an end to all forms of political violence.
“It’s really important we remember Charlie Kirk’s legacy,” said Jenna Lawrence, co-president of the College Republicans of UW-Madison, in a statement to The Madison Federalist. “He did a lot for the conservative movement, and changed how we view free speech on college campuses. Just because he’s done, doesn’t mean his ideas won’t carry on.”
Kirk visited the University of Wisconsin-Madison on multiple occasions, including twice in 2024. According to President Donald Trump’s speech at his memorial service, the “very liberal” UW-Madison was the first campus Kirk tabled at.
On the day of his death, multiple chalk messages were written on or near campus celebrating. In a video posted by the Badger Herald, students suggested they were happy Kirk was dead.
While the students on Library Mall commemorated Kirk’s life with prayer and reflection, students on YikYak celebrated his death.
At least one in-person celebration was held in Witte Hall. The Federalist reviewed multiple videos of the party, but declined to publish them. In one video, about two dozen students were dancing to the AI-generated song “We Are Charlie Kirk.” In another, the students played music as they walked down a hallway. In a final video, a student held up a speaker while playing music in an elevator as the students sang along.
One post suggested that there would be a Charlie Kirk “lookalike” contest on the Terrace at Memorial Union. A follow up post said “we should mock shooting the winner in the neck […] i just want it to be really clear what i’m celebrating.”
Another post said “Scheduled my abortion on the kirkiversary #twobirdsonestone.”
One anonymous student said there would be a “9/11 afterparty” after the clock struck midnight.
One poster suggested that he may be “too woke” because he thought the jokes about “kirkiversary” are “just immortalizing the guy.” He wondered, “why are we allowing a white supremacist to be remembered.”
One asked, “Will you be my kirkentine?” Another asked, “are we twerking for Kirk?”
“No matter if you disagreed with him or if you truly hated him, murder is never something that should be celebrated,” Tomlinson said in response to the viral posts on YikYak. “Think about Charlie’s family today who mourns the loss of him. The murder of any human being is a tragedy. I hope today the people considering making this a day of mockery will take a step back and think about the human life that was lost a year ago today.”
A collection of some of the YikYak posts are below:
