Artist to unveil monumental Charlie Kirk statue in Times Square

A monument commemorating the legacy of late Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is set to be unveiled in New York City in September. The statue is being created by Italian artist Sergio Furnari, who recently shared an update of the project on Instagram. It depicts Kirk holding a microphone, mirroring the campus speaking events and tabling sessions that became a pivotal part of his work.

Furnari said the statue will be publicly unveiled on September 10, the one-year anniversary of Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University, prompting concerns that it will quickly become the target of vandalism.

Funari addressed the leftist reaction to Kirk's murder, saying "I mean, the fact that, you know, people were making fun of this guy, that was like kind of something that I didn’t like."

Commenters on Furnari’s post quickly speculated that the statue would be vandalized. One user said, “Don’t bring that bullsh*t to NYC; I promise it will get vandalized.” Another wrote, “From someone who lived in NYC, this Charlie Kirk monument won’t make it overnight without being vandalized.”

Furnari, 57, had launched a GiveSendGo fundraiser seeking $150,000 to help finance the monument, which currently has raised just $1,567. According to the fundraiser, Furnari has personally financed much of the project. He said that he intends to put the statue "really high on a truch so that everybody can see."

“So far Sergio Furnari has been investing his own money, energy, efforts and dedication into this colossal monument,” the GoFundMe reads. “Sadly none of the politicians/entrepreneurs/supporters have contacted him. Sergio has sold his own apartment to fund this project. Donors of any kind will have their name engraved on the Monument's platform. So yes, your name will be eternally attached to Charlie Kirk. Any contribution of any size is greatly appreciated.”