- Charlie Kirk's "American Comeback Tour" brought thousands to Florida State's Landis Green Friday.
- Hundreds of protestors and counterprotestors created a tense atmosphere at the event.
- Watch now to hear students on both sides describe the climate at the event.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
The student turnout for the Charlie Kirk event rivaled something you might see during football season.
I'm Alberto Camargo your college town neighborhood reporter.
Taking the pulse of the student body during this event and how it represents the political atmosphere on campus.
As Charlie Kirk's debated students on Landis Green — hundreds more stood in protest nearby.
Kirk founded Turning Point USA, a conservative nonprofit that has a student chapter at FSU.
Students at FSU protested his appearance due to what they call hateful political views and rhetoric.
Protester Justin Jordan says the tension was high throughout the afternoon — but it fueled him.
"Seeing that dynamic, even though it should have scared me, it inspired me to continue doing what I was doing, continue chanting, and continuing to support marginalized people."
Jordan says he supports free speech — but thinks opinions like Kirk's cross into hate speech and should not be welcome on campus.
"This was more to show FSU that this is not acceptable and that there is a student response to Charlie Kirk being on campus."
Florida State maintains that it was not supporting the event.
In a statement, FSU says, "The Charlie Kirk event is being coordinated by the student organization Turning Point, not the university. No university funding or fees were used to bring the speaker to campus. The university welcomes the exchange of views as part of the educational process but does not endorse specific speakers or viewpoints."
"It's very important for the future of America to have events like this."
Conservative student Izayah Eldridge says he was happy to see free speech exercised on campus.
But he also felt like he was being targeted with hate speech from the protesting group.
"The moment you put someone else's name on a sign and call them a Nazi or call them something that's been frowned upon since its been a word, I think you cross a line there."
I also asked students from both sides how they move on as a community on campus after today.
One viewpoint they have in common, is that this kind of division is just the reality of the current political climate.
In College Town, Alberto Camargo, ABC27.
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