A public unveiling of a $100,000 statue honoring slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk descended into angry confrontations in Times Square on Thursday, as supporters and opponents of Kirk screamed at one another, shoved and scuffled amid a heavy police presence on the first anniversary of his assassination.

The 6-foot-5 sculpture was created by Italian-born New York artist Sergio Furnari, who said he intended the memorial to Kirk to promote free speech and dialogue rather than deepen political divisions. Instead, the unveiling quickly became another demonstration of the intense polarization that continues to surround Kirk and his legacy one year after he was murdered.

Video from the scene showed heated confrontations developing around the sculpture as Kirk supporters — including men draped in American flags — exchanged insults with protesters who had gathered to oppose the memorial.

The confrontations at times became physical. Footage showed people pushing and shoving, objects being thrown and individuals ending up on the pavement as police officers attempted to maintain order. At least one physical altercation was captured on video.

Opponents of the memorial shouted obscenities at the statue and made obscene gestures toward Furnari during the unveiling.

At another point, several young men stood in front of the sculpture with their hands raised while arguments continued around them. One Kirk supporter wearing an American-flag vest could be heard telling others to “calm down.”

Another man carrying a large American flag shouted about “Islamists” as protesters confronted him.

Police temporarily stopped traffic through part of Midtown Manhattan while the event was underway, as large numbers of spectators and protesters crowded into the Times Square area.

The statue itself depicts Kirk holding a microphone and wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the word “FREEDOM,” an apparent reference to the campus debates and political activism for which he became nationally known.

Furnari said before Thursday’s unveiling that he considered the work broader than simply a tribute to Kirk.

“It’s a monument definitely to Charlie, but it’s even a monument to freedom of speech,” he told Fox News.

Furnari began working on the sculpture shortly after Kirk was shot and killed on September 10, 2025, while appearing at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah.

Kirk, 31, was answering questions before a large crowd when he was fatally shot. Prosecutors have charged Tyler Robinson with aggravated murder, alleging that Kirk was targeted because of his political views. Robinson has pleaded not guilty, and a Utah judge recently ruled that prosecutors may continue seeking the death penalty.

Furnari said the reaction to Kirk’s murder — and particularly what he regarded as a lack of sympathy toward Kirk’s widow, Erika, and his parents — motivated him to create the Times Square memorial.

‘I [saw] how Erika [Kirk] got treated, including the parents of Charlie, and that’s what I think became my catalyzer,’ he said.

Furnari emphasized that his decision to create the statue did not stem from agreement with everything Kirk had said or advocated.

‘If you’re a parent, no matter if you were Democrat or Republican, you should have a little bit of empathy.’

The sculptor said he had not considered himself a major Kirk supporter before the assassination and that his response was driven primarily by the killing and its aftermath.

‘It’s not like I agree with him. There’s a lot of stuff I didn’t agree with,’ Furnari said.

‘But still, freedom of expression and, in my case, freedom of creation — there are no boundaries, no borders. That’s where we kind of stand together.’

Furnari estimated that the project cost him ‘probably more than $100,000’ when the materials and extensive time devoted to creating it were taken into account.

He initially financed the sculpture with his own savings and subsequently launched an online fundraiser in an effort to recover some of the expense. Furnari has said donors to the project will have their names engraved on the statue’s platform.

As the project progressed, Furnari said, his determination to display the sculpture publicly increased because of the continuing mockery of Kirk following his assassination.

‘I became more passionate about it — just because of the way everybody was making fun of him,’ he said.

‘I feel like they killed him once, and they kill him each time, over and over again.’

Thursday’s confrontation in Times Square was just one of numerous events across the country marking one year since Kirk’s death.

At Utah Valley University, where Kirk was killed, classes were canceled Thursday as the school marked the anniversary. Turning Point USA organized a large memorial there, while a student group opposed to the organization planned a protest outside.

Kirk was also honored Thursday evening at the Republican midterm convention in Dallas. A memorial video was played for convention attendees, and Vice President JD Vance spoke extensively about Kirk during his keynote address, recalling their friendship and Kirk’s role in conservative politics.

Vance also addressed Kirk’s two young children, telling them that history would remember their father as both a significant political figure and a good man. Kirk’s widow, Erika, has assumed leadership of Turning Point USA since her husband’s death.

Turning Point USA itself has expanded considerably during the year since Kirk was killed. Reuters reported Thursday that the organization now has a presence at more than 3,500 high schools and 1,500 colleges, further entrenching the organization Kirk co-founded as a major force in conservative youth activism.

Other commemorations were organized around the United States and overseas, including gatherings in Kirk’s hometown of Arlington Heights, Illinois, at Turning Point USA’s headquarters in Phoenix and as far away as Australia and Britain.

But the Times Square scene demonstrated the other side of Kirk’s posthumous legacy. His supporters continue to regard him as an influential advocate for conservative ideas and open political debate, while critics remain strongly opposed to his political positions and rhetoric.

{Matzav.com}