A year ago, on 10 September 2025, the American conservative activist Charlie Kirk was shot dead during a debate at Utah Valley University in Orem. Kirk, aged just 31, was regarded as a rising star of American conservatism and the MAGA ideology: at the age of just 18, he had co-founded the organisation Turning Point USA with entrepreneur Bill Montgomery, one of the most influential youth organisations in the country. Today, Donald Trump paid tribute to the slain activist: “Exactly one year ago, a far-left extremist murdered my great friend and conservative voice Charlie Kirk, because Charlie Kirk spoke the truth.”Turning Point USA has organised a commemoration on the university campus. The event, entitled “Freedom Built to Last Memorial”, will take place from 6.30 pm local time and will feature speeches by leading figures from the American conservative movement, including media entrepreneur Glenn Beck, columnist Michael Knowles and Christian apologist Frank Turek. The university has arranged a one-day closure, to be dedicated to “recovery, support and connection”.In Italy, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini also joined in paying tribute to the activist. Meloni stated: “Charlie had made faith, freedom of speech and open debate his hallmark. He was a devout Christian, a husband, a father, a young man capable of speaking to an entire generation without ever shying away from debate, even with those who held opposing views. He was murdered whilst exercising that very freedom.” The Home Secretary, meanwhile, wrote a social media post dedicated to Kirk, describing him as a “martyr for freedom”.Charlie Kirk’s statement, whilst unusual by the standards of Italian political debate, stemmed from a value system that differed from the European one, particularly with regard to the concepts of freedom and secularism.Kirk’s murder has reignited the debate on freedom of expression. The young conservative advocated dialogue and the exchange of differing ideas, asserting that hate speech did not exist in America and that the First Amendment protected all forms of expression. However, following the murder, the Trump administration acted in the opposite manner, flagging online posts and comments directed against the activist. Dozens of individuals, including both federal employees and staff at private companies, have been dismissed for this reason.In the wake of the murder, the issue of political violence in the United States has once again taken centre stage in public debate. The increasingly frequent incidents, coupled with the constant sharing of graphic content on social media (including footage of the moment the shot was fired), have raised a number of questions, foremost among them the one posed by the Governor of Utah, Spencer Cox: will the murder force a de-escalation of tensions, or will it further exacerbate an already unstable climate?Kirk was a divisive figure who expressed strong opinions on every subject and frequently made provocative remarks. It was precisely this style of communication that laid bare a well-known problem within universities: the gradual loss of debate between differing opinions and ideas.Kirk’s wife, Erika, was in Arizona with her mother at the time of the shooting. Following her husband’s death, Erika Kirk became the new CEO of Turning Point and has taken part in numerous public events in his memory.The alleged killer, who had fired from the roof of a nearby building, was arrested at the end of a manhunt lasting more than 30 hours. The accused is Tyler Robinson, a 23-year-old currently on trial in Provo, Utah. Immediately after his capture, Trump called for the death penalty, which the prosecution has also sought. On 1 September, Robinson pleaded not guilty. The next hearing is scheduled for 23 October.