FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
Thousands of people have packed State Farm Stadium, where a memorial service will be held in honor of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist who was executed with a single bullet during a meeting he was holding on a university campus in Utah.
Kirk's photos are displayed on large screens as supporters of his line gather in the stadium.
Groups dressed in red, white and blue, and some wearing Trump Maga hats, are running inside, cheering after hours of standing in line outside waiting to enter.
Vice President JD Vance is among those who will speak at today's event.
"Last week, we brought my dear friend Charlie Kirk home for the last time," he wrote in a post on X.
"Today, we return to Arizona to remember Charlie and honor his sacrifice. May he rest in peace and may God watch over Erica and their beautiful children."
The comments are accompanied by a video showing Kirk's coffin being transported to Arizona.
The memorial service will not begin until 11:00 local time (19:00 BST), but those already inside the stadium will enjoy live music, with a band and singer performing on the main stage.
Today's event is being accompanied by strict security measures, including "TSA-level screening," which is airport-level security, organizers said.
A senior Department of Homeland Security official told CBS that the memorial service has the same security designation as major events like the Super Bowl.
Organizer Turning Point USA (TPUSA) has also announced that, due to security, there may be longer wait times than usual. TPUSA has asked participants not to bring bags, as they will not be allowed inside.
President Donald Trump spoke to reporters as he left Washington for Arizona. "Today we're going to remember the life of a great man," he said, adding, "that something like this happened is so unbelievable. So it's going to be a very interesting day, a very difficult day."
"We want to see it as a time of healing," Trump said.
Trump sends his love to Kirk's family and says the conservative activist did a "great job."
The president also says that Kirk focused much of his movement's attention on spreading conservative ideas on college campuses, and before that, they were "dangerous places for conservatives."
"They're hot now. They're very hot, just like this country is hot. This country is doing very well. We're the hottest country anywhere in the world right now," he says.
Lini një Përgjigje