Several student organizations are calling on Arizona State University to deliver "justice" to Kyle Rittenhouse after the 18-year-old was found not guilty of all charges for killing two men and wounding a third during a night of protests over the shooting of a Black man by a white police officer in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
Left-leaning student organizations including Students for Socialism ASU, Students for Justice in Palestine, Multicultural Solidarity Coalition, and MECHA de ASU are demanding that school administrators forcibly withdraw Rittenhouse from the university. He's currently registered as a non-degree-seeking online student, but has said he hopes to someday to enter a nursing program on campus.
"Even with a not-guilty verdict from a flawed 'justice' system -- Kyle Rittenhouse is still guilty to his victims and the families of those victims," Students for Socialism ASU said on Twitter.
Although a jury found that Rittenhouse acted in self-defense when he shot two men and wounded another with a semi-automatic rifle, the student organizations want action from the university "to protect students from a violent, blood-thirsty murderer."
The groups are demanding that the university issue a statement against white supremacy and "racist murderer Kyle Rittenhouse." They also want the university to reaffirm support for the multicultural center on campus as a space safe from white supremacy, and to redirect funding from university police to support the multicultural center.
A rally is being held on campus Wednesday afternoon outside the Nelson Fine Arts Center to garner support.
A spokesperson for Students for Socialism told Fox News it doesn't matter if Rittenhouse is taking classes online and off campus; the administration should make it known that a "mass shooter" will not be admitted to the school.
"The goal of these demands is to let the ASU administration know that we as the ASU community do not feel safe knowing that a mass shooter, who has expressed violent intentions about 'protecting property' over people, is so carelessly allowed to be admitted to the school at all," the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson went on to criticize the jury's decision, saying it "effectively gives right-winged individuals the license to kill other individuals who protest for human rights."
Meantime, Rittenhouse has support from at least one student organization at the school. College Republicans United of Arizona State University called the rally a "harassment campaign," adding that the student organizations and any individuals involved should be suspended.
The university has not yet commented on the issue.
Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree homicide, attempted homicide and reckless endangering safety for fatally shooting Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and injuring Gaige Grosskreutz. He testified that he went to Kenosha to protect property from rioters but that he came under attack and feared for his life.
The trial touched on several flashpoints, including racial tension, self-defense, and inciting violence after Rittenhouse took to the streets of Kenosha with an AR-15-style rifle during a protest after police shot and paralyzed Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man.
Following his acquittal, Rittenhouse said he is "not a racist person" and that he supports the Black Lives Matter movement.
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