Nearly a year after his contentious and turbulent visit to the University of Memphis, Kyle Rittenhouse is preparing for another speaking event at the campus next month. According to event information on the college website, the 22-year-old gun rights activist is slated to speak at the University of Memphis’ journalism school on Feb. 26 about “his experiences and the importance of our Second Amendment rights.” Kyle Rittenhouse is seen on the set of “Candace” on January 24, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. The Episode will air on Jan. 25, 2022 (Photo by Jason Davis/Getty Images) He was invited by the conservative political organization Turning Point USA (TPUSA), the same group that hosted his visit to the college last March, to speak about “the Second Amendment“ and the “lies of [Black Lives Matter].” Last year’s speaking event at U of M’s Centre Theatre was part of a short, nationwide college tour that featured additional appearances at Western Kentucky University and Kent State University, where the campus communities held large demonstrations to denounce the events. TPUSA chapters at those schools also sponsored those visits. At the University of Memphis, dozens of students who opposed his event showed up to heckle him and volley questions about his political stances, prompting him to leave the stage early. Viral videos also showed the moments protesters ran Rittenhouse and TPUSA members who accompanied him off the campus. Months after the event, the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) sent a demand letter to the school alleging that campus officials “allowed a mob” to shut down Rittenhouse’s visit but still charged TPUSA $1,600 for security who “stood idly by.” : Chaos breaks out at the University of Memphis after BLM protesters chased down @TPUSA people who were leaving the Kyle Rittenhouse event. Police had to prevent the hostile crowd from physically attacking them.@FrontlinesTPUSA pic.twitter.com/PFr8Ccqr0n— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) March 21, 2024 The group also objected to the university’s demands for TPUSA to switch from its ticketing program to the college’s ticketing system, which they said allowed students who planned to protest the event to reserve seats. University of Memphis officials sent a statement to local news outlets about Rittenhouse’s next visit to the campus: “The speaker has been invited by a registered student organization. This event is not sponsored by the University of Memphis.” Even though widespread opposition surfaced last year to Rittenhouse’s previous visit, U of M stated they could not legally prohibit the event, citing the First Amendment and Tennessee’s Campus Free Speech Act. News of his next visit is already making waves online. Rittenhouse’s supporters are celebrating the event, but opponents are less than pleased. “This is just all about stirring the pot,” one Facebook user commented. “He was rushed off the stage for a reason. Take a hint, he isn’t wanted here,” another added. “If you don’t want to hear what he has to say – Don’t Go!” someone else wrote. Rittenhouse became widely known at age 17 after he fatally shot two men and wounded another during a 2020 protest against the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He claimed self-defense during his trial, and a jury later acquitted him of any wrongdoing. ‘Take a Hint, He Isn’t Wanted Here’: Kyle Rittenhouse to Make Another Appearance at University of Memphis Where Student Protesters Drove Him from Campus Last Year