Sean Krajacic/The Kenosha News via AP, Pool
- ASU student organizations will protest Wednesday and ask the college to ban Kyle Rittenhouse.
- Rittenhouse was previously enrolled as an online non-degree-seeking student at ASU.
- Following his acquittal, Rittenhouse said he wants to return to ASU to finish his degree in person.
On Wednesday, several student organizations at Arizona State University will hold a protest and ask the institution to ban Kyle Rittenhouse, who was previously enrolled in its online program prior to being acquitted two weeks ago of multiple homicide charges.
Members of Students for Socialism ASU, Students for Justice in Palestine, Mecha de ASU, and the Multicultural Solidarity Coalition created a list of demands asking the university to ban Rittenhouse, condemn white supremacy, and reinvest funds from campus police into student programs like the Multicultural Center.
“We’re protesting because this is going to bring real consequences to our campus, or whichever campus he goes to, or wherever he goes. His trial has already brought a consequence in that, now, he set a precedent that allows people to kill protesters, even more than they had the right to do it before,” said an SFS spokesperson, whose identity was confirmed by Insider.
The student organizations involved in the Rittenhouse protest have banded together before to protest issues like police violence, as well as visits from Immigration Customs and Enforcement officials, US Border Patrol officers, and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.
When SFS members discovered that Rittenhouse was listed in the online student directory, they began to organize and create their list of demands. ASU officials confirmed that Rittenhouse is not currently enrolled in any classes and did not have to go through admissions to enroll as an online non-degree-seeking student.
However, Rittenhouse said he dropped his two online classes at ASU because of the pressure of the trial but wants to pick them back up, complete them, and finish his degree in person on campus, according to WBTW.
An SFS spokesperson said that Rittenhouse’s admission as a student would signal that white supremacy is welcome on campus, citing a barrage of racial slurs and anti-Semitic language used by his supporters in comments and messages directed to the protest’s organizers.
“His whole base of supporters kind of proves by default that Kyle Rittenhouse is a beacon for white supremacy. He might say that he supports Black Lives Matter, but what does he have to show for it?” the spokesperson said.
Insider has reached out to ASU officials for comment, as well as to confirm when Rittenhouse applied to its online program and the date his application was approved.
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