ALTON — A rally drawing an estimated 750 to 1,000 people was held Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025, at the Alton Visitor’s Center to honor the memory of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University.
Michelle Nitzsche, one of the event’s organizers, described the gathering as a peaceful demonstration marked by expressions of unity and remembrance.
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“The crowd went down the street and kept getting longer and longer,” she said, noting the turnout exceeded initial expectations.
Participants shared personal testimonies during an open microphone session, and some attendees offered bottles of water to passersby as a gesture of goodwill. “I hope Charlie and God were pleased how it went,” Nitzsche said. “I was proud that the people that went were peaceful.”
Nitzsche emphasized the rally’s focus on peace and love, values she attributed to both Kirk and a higher spiritual calling. She announced plans for a follow-up event scheduled for Oct. 11, 2025, in Alton the Saturday before Kirk’s birthday, inviting all to attend in white as a symbol of peace.
“I want everyone to know everyone is invited,” she said. “Just ask they come with love and peace.”
Reflecting on the Saturday event’s atmosphere, Nitzsche expressed a deep personal connection to the community and the moment. “I have never experienced so much love in my life. Random strangers no longer feel like strangers; we bonded on common ground that we love and care,” she said.
Nitzsche also shared her thoughts on Alton’s historical significance, referencing its association with the Lincoln-Douglas debates, which Kirk admired. “I think God chose Alton for this, home of the Lincoln Douglas debates. Charlie loved doing debates, so I think this was appropriate,” she said.
The rally was organized by the group We Are Charlie, which Nitzsche represents. She described her own experience speaking at the event as transformative, contrasting it with just a few previous public speaking occasions marked by anxiety.
“I wrote a speech with my own words and spoke at Charlie rally and wasn’t nervous one single bit,” she said.
