New 'Charlie Kirk Way' street signs in SoCal draw mixed reactions from residents

WESTMINSTER, Calif. -- Street signs are going up successful the Orange County metropolis of Westminster, honoring slain governmental activistic Charlie Kirk.

The signs are present getting mixed reactions from those who privation to grant Kirk, and those divided by his blimpish activism.

Westminster Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen proudly stood nether the city's newest thoroughfare motion connected Tuesday -- Charlie Kirk Way. He says the renaming was his idea.

"By doing this, we beforehand the freedom, the state of speech, state for everyone to prosecute successful unfastened connection present successful the metropolis of Westminster," Nguyen said.

The motion has been months successful the making for Westminster.

Nguyen says the thought to redesignate the thoroughfare starring to the city's Civic Center from All American Way to Charlie Kirk Way was his idea, and it passed successful a 4-1 assembly vote past fall.

When the ballot passed, the metropolis assembly noted that the redesignation won't officially alteration the thoroughfare name. This means the alteration successful signage won't beryllium reflected connected addresses connected the street, and alternatively volition conscionable alteration the carnal All American Way thoroughfare signs betwixt Westminster Boulevard and 13th Street.

"I myself americium precise inspired by what Charlie Kirk has been doing for the country, what he's been doing to the younger people, for the adjacent generation," Nguyen said.

Not everyone agrees.

"I thought it was a joke," said Ann Galvan from Garden Grove.

"I deliberation that's truthful hateful," said Ashley Lawrence from Los Angeles.

"Are you effing kidding me? Sorry, that was my gut reaction," said Westminster nonmigratory Terry Rains.

Rains organized a protestation backmost successful December successful an effort to halt what she says is causing part successful her community.

"That thoroughfare is called All American Way. That is inclusive. That welcomes everyone into our Civic Center," Rains said. "These are each nationalist buildings, and truthful tainting the sanction conscionable wholly denigrates the entire... what that stands for."

The quality of the signs is spreading accelerated connected societal media, prompting radical to thrust from each implicit Southern California to spot them successful person.

"It's a small ridiculous," 1 nonmigratory said.

"I'm truly blessed to spot that, due to the fact that I'm his large fan," different said.

The disapproval is not caller to the mayor, who was adjacent stopped by idiosyncratic who disagreed with the determination during his interrogation with Eyewitness News.

"You can't delight everyone," Nguyen said.

The politician claims the motion honoring Kirk isn't political, and alternatively is meant to correspond state of speech.

"I'm not saying that Charlie Kirk is simply a Republican oregon Democrat. I don't instrumentality it that way. I look astatine the mode that helium is dedicated. He is sacrificing to bash what needs to beryllium done for our country, and helium is simply a patriot. Those are the things that I look at," Nguyen said.

Last year, the metropolis assembly besides voted to designate Kirk's birthday, Oct. 14, arsenic "Charlie Kirk Day." It passed with a 3-2 vote.

Utah antheral Tyler Robinson, 22, is accused of shooting Kirk -- an state of President Donald Trump who worked to steer young voters toward conservatism done his organization, Turning Point USA -- from a rooftop overlooking a crowded courtyard astatine Utah Valley University successful Orem connected Sept. 10, 2025.

Robinson was arrested the pursuing nighttime erstwhile helium showed up with his parents to crook himself successful astatine his hometown sheriff's bureau successful southwest Utah, much than a three-hour thrust from Orem.