Charlie Kirk Statue Unveiled in Times Square Amid Clashes

A privately funded bronze statue of the late conservative activist Charlie Kirk was unveiled in New York City's Times Square on September 10, 2026, the first anniversary of his assassination, drawing supporters and counterprotesters whose confrontation briefly turned physical before police intervened. The lifesize sculpture, roughly 6 feet 5 inches tall, was created by Italian-born New York artist Sergio Furnari. It depicts Kirk seated and holding a microphone, wearing a shirt bearing the word FREEDOM. Furnari said he funded the project himself at a cost of about $100,000, including materials and his time, and later launched an online fundraiser to recoup the expense, promising donors that their names would be engraved on the monument's platform. The unveiling was timed to the anniversary of Kirk's killing. Kirk, who founded Turning Point USA in 2012, was fatally shot on September 10, 2025, while speaking at a campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Tyler Robinson has been charged in connection with the killing, including aggravated murder, and has pleaded not guilty; he is awaiting trial and has not been convicted.