By Christopher Roy, for the Newport Dispatch

NEWPORT — About 200 area residents, united in grief and respect, gathered on the Newport waterfront Saturday for a candlelight vigil in memory of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Kirk was assassinated while speaking at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10. The rally in Newport, organized by the Orleans County Republican Committee, was peaceful. If any of Kirk’s opponents attended, they did not make themselves widely known. Many supporters carried signs with positive messages.

Before the start of the rally, Joshua Bechhoefer, Vermont’s Republican National Committeeman who represents the state on the Republican National Committee, said what happened to Kirk was an enormous tragedy.

“I believe they went after him because his only weapon was his voice, and it was a very powerful weapon,” Bechhoefer said. “He’s embodied that the pen is mightier than the sword. There aren’t many other people in the modern day like that. He’s truly irreplaceable.”

Bechhoefer said the red roses he brought were the most heartfelt tribute he could offer in Kirk’s memory.

“These roses will wilt, his ideas will not,” he said. “We may have buried him, but we haven’t buried his ideas.”

In an interview, Orleans County Republican Committee Treasurer Greenwood, a longtime Derby resident, called Kirk’s shooting a shame.

“The left has criticized Charlie for hate speech, but he wasn’t that kind of guy,” Greenwood said. “He tried to calm everybody. He was a mild man. He was religious, a Christian, and he tried to bring everybody together. He didn’t try to separate anybody. The left always thought he always tried to separate everybody.”

Greenwood said he hopes the takeaway from Saturday’s gathering will be unity and calm, adding that hate speech exists on both sides and should stop. He said that was Kirk’s message.

Rep. Richard Nelson, R-Derby, told the crowd that a number of individuals have been harmed by politically motivated violence. He added that the 149 other lawmakers who serve with him in Montpelier don’t all agree on issues, but the key is dialogue.

“You get to know people, where they are from, and what they do,” he said. “You learn to have empathy for that person, and you learn to understand why they think the way they do. You don’t have to agree, but you need to allow other people to have their viewpoints.”

Nelson, who said he has watched Kirk’s recorded debates in recent days, said he never heard him say a mean word to anyone.

“He had the utmost respect for everybody he was debating with or discussing ideas with, and for that he was shot,” Nelson said. “We’ve got to agree that we can disagree. We have to agree that we can have tolerance for people with different views.”

“The First Amendment is set up so the government can’t stifle what we say,” he added. “The Second Amendment protects the First Amendment, and all the rest fall in line.”

Bechhoefer also spoke about veterans who died for the First Amendment, noting the Stars of David and crosses seen in graveyards across the country.

“You are joining a tradition that is old,” he told the crowd. “With the founding of this country, one of the oldest written constitutions. Not only old but broad. You are joining millions in a vigil for the First Amendment.”

Greenwood, who served as chair of the Orleans County Republican Committee for about 18 years, called the Saturday evening event unprecedented in the Newport area.

“This is great,” he said, adding that Kirk’s memory will continue.

Anya Tynio, vice chair of the Orleans County Republican Committee, delivered a strong and meaningful message.

“We are not here today as Republicans or Democrats or independents,” she said. “We are here as Americans, and a fine American died for speaking up, for his convictions, for his beliefs, and the truth. He was always willing to debate people. I want to say for the record, Charlie Kirk won. Nobody could out-debate that man because his views were right. When you silence somebody through violence, you do not win. The person who was speaking won. He will be grieved. He will be missed. We will all fill his void. We will all stand up and speak the truth just like Charlie did.”

Several other residents also spoke about Kirk’s efforts.

Kristin Poginy read a “Prayer for Deliverance of Enemies” from the Song of David. Other signs of love and patriotism were also displayed.