BLACKSBURG, Va. – Up to 3,000 people are expected to pack into Burruss Hall Auditorium at Virginia Tech on Wednesday night for the next stop on the American Comeback Tour, hosted by the school’s chapter of Turning Point USA.
The event comes just two weeks after the assassination of the group’s founder, Charlie Kirk, at Utah Valley University.
Key speakers include Gov. Glenn Youngkin and conservative media personality Megyn Kelly. Some Virginia Tech students had previously signed up for an open debate with Kirk, similar to the one where he was killed.
“I was signed up to go to his tent, and he’s not someone I agree with,” said Jack Quinn, a Virginia Tech junior studying philosophy, politics and economics. “He is someone that I very much disagree with or did disagree with on many things. And it’s somewhat surreal that he was not going to be here and be able to talk about that now.”
Virginia Tech is implementing heightened security measures for the event. No bags or cameras will be allowed, and attendees will go through extra screenings.
“If you walk around campus, you will constantly see Virginia Tech police,” said Ellie Gregoire, a horticulture master’s student. “They are very, very friendly individuals who truly put the safety of students and faculty above everybody else. And so I feel very confident that they will do an amazing job at the rally tomorrow.”
Quinn added, “It’s obviously important to have heightened security now. But I think Tech has a very good apparatus for that. From looking at the football games and how they do security there.”
VT Spokesperson Mark Owczarski said public safety is “always going to be a concern for the university.”
“So with every single event held at Virginia Tech, protocols, involvement of our emergency management operation will always be included in the conversation,” he added. “Because it’s our campus and we are concerned about public safety for everything we do.”
Traffic, parking changes, and road closures on campus are expected on Wednesday afternoon, leading up to the event.
Information about the event can be found here.
VT says doors will open at 5 p.m., the event begins at 6:30 p.m. and the event is expected to wrap up by 8 p.m.
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