By Guy Page

Leftist anti-police activists are trying to ‘cancel’ TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk’s October 18 visit to the Burlington area. If the current scheduled venue is unavailable, TPUSA has multiple backup plans for venue and will hold the event in the Burlington area same date (October 18) and same time (7-10 pm), no matter what, Vermont organizer Savannah Coelho said today.

A group called Burlington CopWatch (“Dedicated to Police Abolition”) is trying to get followers to reserve seats online to Kirk’s Exposing Critical Racism Tour at the Burlington Hilton – and then, not show up. They say they’re trying to keep Kirk’s conservative message away from impressionable young people.

College students curious about an alternative to ‘equity and diversity’ orthodoxy are encouraged to attend. There will be opportunities to meet Kirk. They may contact Vermont director Savannah Coelho at savannah.coelho@tpusa.com. Free tickets may be ordered at http://www.TPUSA.com/CRT. Scroll scroll down to the UVM event link and order there, Coelho said.

The event has been scheduled to be held at a downtown hotel – which has been targeted by CopWatch.

“Proactively preventing recruitment of young people to conservative/racist/homophobic organizations is some of the most efficient organizing we can do,” CopWatch said on Facebook yesterday. 

The group – seemingly comprised mostly of young white people wearing black, judging by its FB cover photo – styles itself as anti-racist, anti-homophobic, and anti-cop. They want people to call the Hilton and complain, to take to social media and complain, and then “Reserve a seat at the event and don’t show: https://www.eventbrite.com/…/exposing-critical-racism…” 

The link appears to have been taken down, prohibiting anyone – friend or foe alike – from registering at the Eventbrite site.

CopWatch also is trying to pressure the Hilton, it admitted on its website. 

“We know we’ll need to hit them where it hurts: PR & their bottom line, and we’ll do just that if we need to! In the week leading up to the event we’ll reach out to their main customer base, informing guests staying with them of the Hilton’s harmful decision, and we’ll show up in droves day-of if the event doesn’t end up canceled,” the group claims.

It’s no surprise that CopWatch is particularly incensed about Kirk’s subject: the ‘threat’ of Critical Race Theory. CopWatch expresses solidarity with Black Lives Matter, an organization with Marxist roots and (like CRT adherents) committed to ‘equity and diversity’ identity politics. 

Kirk is currently visiting college campuses to counter the generally positive narrative about Critical Race Theory and its policy offspring, ‘equity and diversity.’ According to a Sept. 8 article in the Clemson Tiger, Kirk is famously outspoken about Critical Race Theory (CRT), and many of his most controversial statements are available on the tour’s webpage. “If America doesn’t kill Critical Race Theory,” said Kirk in a May tweet, “Critical Race Theory will kill America.”  

He also called CRT “the most racist thing that is being spread in popular life in America — it is no different than the teaching of the KKK.”

Next October’s visit will be Kirk’s second to Vermont this year. After TPUSA organized in Vermont this spring, he spoke in June at Ignite Church in Williston.

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