Whanganui Mayor Andrew Tripe said he knew very little about Kirk before his death. Photo / NZME
The Whanganui Mayor says he’s “sorry for any upset caused” by his speech at a vigil for conservative American political activist Charlie Kirk.
Andrew Tripe’s appearance at the vigil on the War Memorial Centre forecourt on September 21 has sparked a wave of online debate after a video of his speech was circulated online.
At the vigil, Tripe said he was devastated by Kirk’s death but was unsure why.
“Maybe it was the hope of someone who is going to give us the truth,” he said at the vigil.
“Then I realised that hope and faith and love are enduring.
“Here we are at the bottom of the Southern Hemisphere, and that’s our call, to act on what Charlie Kirk was doing, boldly.”
Kirk, founder of conservative student organisation Turning Point USA, was shot dead while speaking at Utah Valley University on September 10.
In a written statement to the Chronicle, Tripe said he got invited to many events, and the community’s expectation was to attend where he could.
He was there to speak in favour of free speech and against violence, not in support of an individual.
“On this occasion, my short speech used symbolism to make my point - violence is unacceptable, and we must be vigilant about anything that makes freedom of speech harder to exercise.”
Tripe said he knew very little about Kirk before his death and had not listened to his work, which he suspected was true for many in New Zealand.
“I certainly did not intend to endorse any individual’s views and apologise if that is what some felt was interpreted.”
In a Facebook statement, Te Ao Hou Marae chairman and Whanganui Māori ward candidate Geoff Hipango said there were “consequences to the beliefs we hold”.
“In my opinion, Charlie Kirk represented all the ists ... racist, misogynist, classist, extremist. Hate speech. Plenty of receipts on YouTube, go have fun,” he said.
“Whanganui, we are better and deserve better than this ... I really needed to call this out.”
Hipango also sent a message to Tripe which said: “I find it irreconcilable that as our elected mayor, you would endorse memorialising and glorifying an open bigot in a positive light”.
Tripe said he completely understood the criticism he had received.
“In hindsight, had I known more about [Kirk] and done more research, and appreciated the impact of accepting the invitation and offering a few brief remarks, I would have reconsidered attending.
“I’m sorry for any upset caused.
“My intention was to condemn violence and defend freedom of speech, not to endorse anyone’s views.
“I have always embraced all members of our community, no matter their views or orientation.”
Whanganui District councillor Josh Chandulal-Mackay, challenging Tripe for the mayoralty, said he was invited but did not attend.
“The mayor and any elected representative, and any member of the community for that matter, has the right to gather in free association with like-minded people,” he said.
“It’s about the broader question around Charlie Kirk in general.
“To me, he was the antithesis of many values that the council and the community, over my time as an elected member, have tried to promote.”
He said he would not comment on whether he thought Tripe should have attended.
Mayoral candidate Greg McPhee said if Tripe wanted to express his views in a personal capacity, “that’s up to him”.
“If he’s doing it from a political standpoint, I don’t think it’s cricket.”
District councillor and mayoral candidate Peter Oskam said a mantra he always used was that politics should be “ethics put into practice”.
“This means taking a moral stand, not for practical purposes in the hope it will bring political results, but as a matter of principle.
“If he truly believes what he said, he should state it and be strong, because those are his values.
“You also need to be honest with the public about your values and your ethics.”
There has been widespread online commentary on the mayor’s speech.
On Facebook, one person said even if Tripe believed in Kirk’s philosophy, someone in a public position, such as a mayor, needed to stay out of such divisive politics and present a neutral stance.
Another asked what Tripe was calling to act on.
“Prejudice and social division? The Maga movement has no place in our community.”
A Reddit poster said they respected the mayor for standing up and saying something positive about Kirk.
“The fact that people lose their minds over a simple, kind word shows how brainwashed this place is.”
Pride Whanganui Trust said in a statement that it was deeply concerned and saddened by Tripe’s presence and words at the vigil.
“To publicly celebrate and encourage our community to act on his message is not only inappropriate for an elected leader but also deeply hurtful to many people in Whanganui who have been directly impacted by the views Kirk represents.”
The trust said a mayor’s role was to unite, to uphold the dignity of all residents and to represent the values of respect and inclusion.
“The outrage and hurt that people are feeling is not political – it is personal.
“Words matter, especially from those in positions of power, and these words have left many questioning whether their mayor stands for them.”
The Whanganui vigil was emceed by Whanganui District Council candidate Azian Z, who could not be reached for comment.
Vigil organiser Melinda Therese told the Chronicle that Tripe, Chandulal-Mackay, councillor Michael Law and Whanganui MP Carl Bates had been invited to the event, but only Tripe attended.
“We came together to mark [Kirk’s] passing, for solidarity, for healing, for a chance to pray,” she said.
“His aim, whether you agreed with it or not, was to provide a platform for people to come and debate with him, disagree with him, and say what they thought.”
She said in a statement that Tripe’s remarks were calm and peaceful and “he certainly didn’t endorse any individual’s views despite what some people are saying”.
Tripe said it appeared some had used his speech “to create a co-ordinated campaign” and had built a misleading story to distort his narrative.
“Many people have formed opinions based on that false narrative for political advantage.”
He said words online spilled into real life and affected families, including his own, and left people anxious and fearful.
“The other part of my message is that all of us must boldly rally behind the need to do better at understanding differing opinions and expressing our freedom to speak without condemnation.
“I will not apologise for condemning violence or for defending our freedoms.”
In a Facebook post, councillor Jenny Duncan defended Tripe and said the criticism levelled at him did not reflect his mayoralty.
“When I watch a person closely for three years and see none of the following – racism, anti-climate change, misogyny, anti-LGBTQ ... pro-gun lobby etc, then I don’t take a foolish, poorly judged two-minute speech as to who the person is.
“I take the evidence of the past three years of leadership.”
Duncan said Tripe had made zero attempt to influence others’ opinions, respecting diversity, promoting community cohesion and focusing on the present and future wellbeing of all the community.
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.