Jacksonville, FL – On Wednesday, October 22, students at the University of North Florida gathered to protest the proposed Florida House Bill 113, which seeks to pressure all colleges in the state to rename a road after Charlie Kirk.

Jacksonville Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) organized the rally, which drew over 30 students. Half the campus away, students reported hearing chants of, “No Kirk, no KKK, no racist USA!”

SDS member Kevin Brosan spoke against HB 113 and Charlie Kirk, saying that Kirk, “called the Civil Rights Act of 1964 a huge mistake, claiming that it has been turned into an anti-white weapon.” Brosan emphasized, “If this bill goes through, let me remind you that this is who UNF and the Florida Senate choose to honor.”

Lorelai Dodge, a member of Freedom Road Socialist Organization, spoke against the system of oppression that Kirk served. She called Kirk a “pawn used by the reactionary right to normalize extremism and suppression of free speech. In life, he was a tool used to normalize far right ideas. Now, in death, he’s a tool used to stamp out opposition to those ideas.”

Throughout the rally, protesters emphasized that HB 113 specifically directs the University of North Florida to rename UNF Drive, the school’s main road. This is the road that runs around campus, on which thousands of cars travel every day. Furthermore, changing the name of this road would change UNF’s address, sending a message about the identity of the school as a whole.

The rally concluded with a march along UNF Drive. The march drew support from passing drivers as protesters waved signs that said “No honors for bigots” and “Say no to Charlie Kirk Road.”

After the protest, spectators commented that they disagreed with the name change and were glad to see people opposing it.

#JacksonvilleFL #FL #StudentMovement #SDS #CharlieKirk #TPUSA