Vice President JD Vance, Erika Kirk visiting UGA for Turning Point USA rally; protests expected

JD Vance and Erika Kirk | CBS

Vice President JD Vance and Turning Point CEO Erika Kirk are visiting Athens on Tuesday for a rally as part of the conservative group’s tour of college campuses.

The visit to the University of Georgia is one of five on the This Is Turning Point USA Tour, which also includes stops at George Washington, Ohio State, Baylor, and the University of Idaho.

“Each stop is a chance to honor Charlie’s mission and keep the fight alive. We know he wouldn’t want us to surrender or be coerced into silence. Free speech is only free if we use our voices,” the event description reads.

The event is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. at Akins Ford Arena at the Classic Center. Doors open at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are free, but attendance is on a first-come-first-served basis.

Last year, Kirk endorsed a potential presidential bid by Vance after President Trump is out of office, telling crowds at the group’s annual conference that “We are going to get my husband’s friend JD Vance elected for 48 in the most resounding way possible.”

The event is one of the first at which the vice president will appear after the historic round of face-to-face talks between the United States and Iran, which ended over the weekend without reaching an agreement.

With such high profile conservative voices visiting the campus, some students, including members of the UGA Young Democrats and the University of Georgia’s Young Democratic Socialists of America chapter, say they are planning to hold a protest outside the venue during the event.

“Get Ready to Get Loud,” the organizations wrote on an Instagram post promoting the demonstration.