A recent survey conducted by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) found that 30% of college students nationwide view the use of violence as an acceptable method to prevent a controversial speaker from attending a campus event. This includes 3% who deem it always acceptable, 12% who see it as sometimes acceptable, and 16% who consider it rarely acceptable. This survey follows the assassination of Charlie Kirk during a college event organized by Turning Point USA on September 10, 2025.
A photo from the event in Tucson on October 17, 2024, shows Charlie Kirk speaking at the University of Arizona. (Olivier Touron/AFP via Getty Images)
The findings reflect a decrease from the previous year, when 34% of students accepted violence as a form of protest. However, the percentage has risen by ten points compared to four years ago. On a brighter note, 70% of students stated that violence is never acceptable to oppose a speaker.
The survey also revealed that 69% of students find shouting down a speaker to be acceptable, a slight decrease from last year but still a seven-point increase from four years earlier.
Chapin Lenthall-Cleary, a data analyst at FIRE, noted, “We’re pleased to see a decrease in the number of students who find violence acceptable, but concerns remain as long as the threat of harm exists for those expressing controversial views.” He also speculated that witnessing Kirk’s assassination might have contributed to the decrease in students supporting such violence.
The report highlighted a significant shift since the early 2020s. Initially, liberal students were twice as likely as conservatives to accept violence. However, acceptance has risen substantially among conservative and moderate students, predominantly males.
Following Charlie Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University (UVU), support for violence has slightly lessened, though over 30% of students still consider it at least rarely acceptable to use violence to stop a speaker.
FIRE’s survey included responses from 62,997 undergraduates at 262 colleges and universities, resulting in a ranking of institutions based on free speech. The top five schools in this area are the University of Chicago, Claremont McKenna College, Georgia Institute of Technology, Michigan Technological University, and Vanderbilt University.