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Topics: News, US News, Charlie Kirk
Kit Roberts
Topics: News, US News, Charlie Kirk
The funeral of Charlie Kirk will feature among the highest levels of security available at US events following the activist's death.
Kirk was shot dead while speaking at a rally at a Utah university campus on 10 September, and his allies are now planning a funeral service which has been compared to a state funeral.
The 31-year-old far-right activist was known for his hardline views on topics such as the US civil rights movement, which he called a 'mistake', as well as women's reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and gun violence, with the campaigner previously claiming that some gun deaths each year were 'worth it' to maintain Second Amendment rights.
Now, Kirk's allies and supporters will publicly pay tribute to him in an enormous funeral to take place at the State Farm Stadium on 21 September.
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Due to the number of high-profile figures in the US who are expected to attend the event in Arizona, the level of security is extremely high.
An official for the Department of Homeland Security spoke to the Washington Post on condition of anonymity, saying that the funeral would be comparable to events of 'the highest national significance'.
The source said: “This designation is reserved for events of the highest national significance and enables the federal government to provide the full range of law enforcement and security resources necessary to support local officials in ensuring a safe and successful event."
This designation is the same as that given to events such as the Super Bowl, and figures from the highest levels of government are expected to attend.
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President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, as well as five members of the US cabinet, are expected to speak.
The White House will send two full planes of staff to attend the elaborate event.
Usually, high-profile political shootings see the president and other senior figures calling for calm and aiming to relieve tensions.
However, in the wake of Kirk's shooting, senior figures, including Trump, have ramped up calls to crack down on the 'radical left', which in turn has been met with fierce criticism.
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This has included the decision to cancel the show Jimmy Kimmel Live after the host accused Trump's supporters of exploiting Kirk's death for political gain.
Kirk's funeral is being organised by Turning Point USA, the far-right campaign group he co-founded, and in addition to mourning Kirk, the funeral will reportedly also feature voter-registration drives and requests for political donations.