A sculptor who plans to display a statue of assassinated right-wing activist Charlie Kirk in Times Square this fall said he’s being harassed online for his attempt to memorialize the free speech he feels Kirk stood for.
Italian sculptor and longtime New Yorker Sergio Furnari has been sharing progress reports of his work on social media, seeking funding and demonstrating his work. He plans to erect the statue on Sept. 10, a year to the day after Kirk was fatally shot at age 31 while speaking to Utah Valley University students at an outdoor gathering in Salt Lake City.
Furnari has Kirk sitting and holding a microphone, not unlike what he was doing when a gunman’s bullet struck him in the neck. Kirk was the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization, and was known for his incendiary remarks.
“I didn’t agree with everything Charlie Kirk had to say or the way he thought,” Furnari said in one of several Instagram videos of himself putting final touches on the statue. “But one thing I believe in is freedom of speech and the right to exercise freedom of speech. So you have the right to talk, to think, but you don’t have the right to be satanic or evil. That’s for sure.”
Furnari said he has sold his apartment to fund the project and is seeking more support via an online funding drive that has reaped about $1,500 of his requested $150,000. While most comments on his social media posts are encouraging and complimentary, some of the negative comments read like borderline threats, he told TMZ.
“I really want to come to NYC just to burn and p— on that s— Charlie Kirk statue” is one thing, Furnari told the outlet. But then there’s “if you left this earth no one would notice,” “I’m going to run this right over once you’re done,” and “When it’s in Times Square, someone will find a way to send its head back to you.”
Most of the shade seems aimed at the idea of putting a statue of Kirk anywhere in New York City, let alone Times Square.
“Great new public urinal. Can’t wait to use it!” said one, and another, “This sculpture isn’t even gonna last a full week in nyc LMAOOOOO,” punctuated with a skull emoji.
A heart-emoji-filled declaration that “NYC loves Charlie” got the reply, “WE DON’T. We believe in equal rights, inclusion, tolerance, diversity, and love for our neighbors no matter who they look like, pray to, or love. This statue won’t last 24 hours in NYC.”
It would not be the first time Furnari has been thwarted in trying to pay public tribute with his art. In October 2021 a giant heart statue he erected in Central Park to pandemic health care workers was taken down by the city because he didn’t have a permit.
With News Wire Services