By Ethan Cohen
American political activist Charlie Kirk, known for challenging college students on controversial political issues, drew crowds of students and outsiders to Long Beach State on Monday, May 5.
During his noon to 2 p.m. event on The Outpost lawn, Kirk touched on various hot-button political issues, including the economy, immigration, global conflicts and the LGBTQ+ community.
CSULB was one of Kirk’s last stops on his “American Comeback Tour,” which saw him hosting similar debates with college students and faculty nationwide.
Charlie Kirk visited Long Beach State on May 5 to debate students on LGBTQ+ issues, immigration and Trump’s policies among other topics. Photo credit: Samuel Chacko
The events are affiliated with “Turning Point USA,” a national conservative student organization co-founded by Kirk.
It was not Kirk’s first time at CSULB. In October 2018, his “Campus Clash” tour sparked protests outside the University Student Union Beach Auditorium, where demonstrators voiced opposition to his conservative views.
The university preemptively sent emails to students, faculty and staff ahead of the event, emphasizing its commitment to free speech and expression on campus while noting the University Police Department would have a strong presence.
“Today, one of our student organizations has invited a speaker who will be on campus,” the statement said. “The student organization and their speaker have followed all stipulations of the campus Time, Place and Manner policy, so their event will proceed as planned.”
UPD Chief John Brockie said the event drew in more than 1,000 attendees. While small and scattered protestors were present, their numbers remained relatively limited throughout the event.
A mix between Long Beach State students and outsiders huddled behind the barriers to debate and to hear what conservative commentator Charlie Kirk had to say. Kirk debated multiple students on May 5 from noon to around 3 p.m. Photo credit: Samuel Chacko
Emma Spirescu, 21, president of CSULB’s TPUSA chapter, played a key role in planning and organizing Kirk’s appearance, highlighting the extensive effort involved in bringing it to the campus.
“It was a long process,” she said. “But the school was gracious with us, and we were able to figure everything out. As long as we followed the policies.”
Spirescu, a senior and liberal studies major, viewed the event as a valuable opportunity for campus-wide discussions and debates on controversial political issues.
“I think there were a lot of great discussions that were had, and students that disagreed and had differing opinions were able to come up and ask someone who’s very involved in politics and get to just hear different ideas,” Spirescu said. “I think that’s what college is all about, hearing different ideas and being exposed to different viewpoints.”
The event attracted numerous spectators from outside the university community, including local residents, political supporters and curious onlookers who came to hear Kirk speak or observe the discussions firsthand.
Katy Leona, 35, a two-time CSULB alumna and Long Beach local who lives about a half-mile from campus, came as a fan to hear Kirk speak.
“I think that he’s an incredible leader of young people in North America,” Leona said. “As of today, he’s made a really big impact on Gen Z and across college campuses. There’s now spaces and organized groups of people for conservative college kids.”
Leona said it was much harder for her generation of students to speak out and express their views as conservatives.
Another spectator, who stood in the front row wearing a signed MAGA hat Kirk had tossed to her during the event, drove nearly an hour to hear him speak.
Mikayla Berns, 18, a senior at Westlake High School, traveled from Thousand Oaks with her father to get a chance to see Kirk, whom she largely credits with helping Donald Trump win the presidency.
18-year-old Mikayla Berns watches along with hundreds of Charlie Kirk supporters as he visits Long Beach States and debates students. Photo credit: Samuel Chacko
“I’ve been following Kirk forever,” Berns said. “I thought he did amazing and answered everyone’s questions. He’s so educated and shows that not everyone needs to go to college to learn about what’s going on in politics.”
Spirescu closed with a sense of success and expressed appreciation for the opportunity to help organize one of the largest public gatherings on campus this academic year.
“Events like these are just the beauty of free speech,” she said. “Having that on a college campus, we want to thank the administration for working with us and helping make this event happen. It was a great turnout, and we’re really happy with how it turned out.”
Arts and Life Assistant Editor Delfino Camacho contributed to this story.
