By Joseph Ax
Sept 13 (Reuters) - A newly installed memorial statue of slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk was vandalized overnight in Phoenix on Sunday, according to the organization that he founded.
The statue was defaced with red paint, according to a post on X from Tyler Bowyer, chief operating officer of Turning Point Action, the youth-focused political organization founded by Kirk.
Phoenix police confirmed they had responded to calls on Sunday morning regarding a vandalized memorial outside the headquarters of Turning Point and asked anyone with information to call.
"This morning we woke up to radical criminals vandalizing our headquarters," Bowyer posted on X, along with photos of the statue and a separate sign that also had been spray-painted.
The statue was unveiled on Thursday to mark one year since Kirk was fatally shot during a Turning Point event in Utah on September 10, 2025.
The man accused of killing Kirk, Tyler Robinson, has pleaded not guilty to murder charges and could face the death penalty if convicted.
Kirk's activism and legacy divided many in the country.
Civil rights advocates criticized Kirk for rhetoric they called racist, anti-immigrant, transphobic, and misogynist, citing his public remarks denigrating Black Americans, LGBTQ+ communities, Muslims and immigrants.
His supporters described him as a defender of conservative values and public debate who galvanized young voters for President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.
(Reporting by Joseph Ax; Editing by Sergio Non and Aurora Ellis)
