Massive funeral in honor of Charlie Kirk gathers tens of thousands in Arizona

Glendale.– With a display befitting a state funeral, thousands of people gathered this Sunday at the State Farm Stadium in Arizona to pay tribute to Charlie Kirk, the ultra-conservative activist murdered on September 10th during a debate at Utah Valley University. The sports venue, with a capacity for 73,000 people, was completely filled at a ceremony marked by evangelical chants, solemn music performed by bagpipers, and a large portrait of the founder of Turning Point USA, placed on the main stage. Among the first to intervene were the president of the University of Michigan and leaders of Turning Point, a student organization that he founded at age 18 and that catapulted him as one of the most influential voices of American conservatism. The magnitude of the event was reflected in the list of political figures who confirmed their participation. President Donald Trump was announced as the keynote speaker, accompanied by Vice President JD Vance, the widow of activist Erika Kirk, who will take over as the new CEO of Turning Point, and prominent cabinet members such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller.

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Kirk, killed at the age of 31 by a gunshot during a university event, became a symbol and martyr of American nationalist ultraconservatism. His figure generated both admiration and controversy: he promoted free market principles, limited government, and radical Christian values, while defending positions linked to white nationalism and theories such as the “great replacement.” The service, which is estimated to last for several hours, marks the beginning of a series of tributes that seek to consolidate Kirk’s image as an ideological and political reference of a conservative movement that, after his death, has reinforced its cohesion around his legacy.