After two sisters in Arkansas were arrested for allegedly vandalizing a Charlie Kirk memorial, they are now trying to pay for legal fees through a GoFundMe campaign.
Kerri Melissa Rollo, 23, and Kaylee Heather Rollo, 22, were arrested for allegedly vandalizing a memorial set up at the Benton County Courthouse to honor the conservative youth activist, 31, who was shot dead September 10 while speaking at Utah Valley University.
Both women were charged with first-degree criminal mischief, and Kaylee Rollo was also charged with obstruction of governmental operations, according to the Benton County Sheriff's Office last Wednesday.
In a photo shared by the sheriff's office, one of the women can be seen standing amid a collection of candles, giving a middle finger to the camera. The photo appears to be a still image taken from a video that circulated on social media, showing the women ripping up signs and kicking over candles at the memorial, according to ABC 40/29.
“Sheriff [Shawn] Holloway takes acts of vandalism, particularly those directed toward community memorials, very seriously,” the sheriff's office said in a statement.
Benton County Justice of the Peace Joseph Bollinger explained the county’s position with regard to the women's First Amendment rights.
“Everyone has a right to be able to express their freedom of expression. But what the issue is, is when you trample on someone’s memorial—the human act of grieving,” Bollinger said in a statement to the broadcaster. “You’re not just trampling on their freedom of expression; you’re trampling on the memory of a person. You’re trampling on our Benton County values.”
Neither offending a county’s values nor disrespecting the memory of a deceased person typically constitutes speech outside the protections of the First Amendment.
On their GoFundMe page — titled “FIGHT AGAINST F4CISM” — the sisters said they were being “doxxed online,” and Kaylee, who appears to have written the page’s message, said her sister Kerri was fired.
“After the recent events [of] Charlie Kirk’s death, my sibling and I are being doxxed online and my sibling was fired from their job. This is a direct violation of their First Amendment rights and unconstitutional. This is unfortunate, but anything helps,” the GoFundMe message reads. “Please help my sibling while they look for another job and stand against the tyranny that is creeping into the country.”
The sister organizing the campaign provided an update, saying that she and her sister had been “ARRESTED FOR THIS PROTEST” and that “WE HAVE BEEN THREATENED, DOXXED, HARASSED, AND FIRED.”
The sisters said the money raised would go toward legal counsel and court fees. As of Monday morning, they had raised $5,800.
On Friday, a judge set Kerri’s bond at $15,000 and Kaylee’s bond at $7,500. Kerri requested a public defender, while Kaylee has retained her own attorney.
Kirk’s alleged assassin, Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested after his parents turned him in to police. The shooting, as well as Robinson’s history and motive, are still under investigation.
A memorial event for Kirk was held in Glendale, Arizona, over the weekend. His widow, Erika, spoke during the event, as did President Donald Trump and a host of MAGA loyalists.
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