On Sunday, before the sun even rose, tens of thousands of people began to arrive at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., for the memorial service for Charlie Kirk.
Wearing red ties, flag prints and every manner of MAGA merchandise, they came from as far away as Idaho, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Mississippi. Some were elderly, using canes and walkers to navigate the crowd. There were families with children. College students. Others were men around the age of Mr. Kirk, wearing slacks, sport coats and dress shoes, standing in the stifling Arizona heat as they waited in line, hoping to get into the memorial.
Danney Tanner, 58, drove 1,600 miles in his 1970 Chevy Chevelle — featuring a Stars and Stripes paint job — from Marshall, Minn., to Glendale.
This week, Mr. Tanner added three new words to his custom paint job: “I am Charlie.”
“When you believe in people, and you believe in what they stand for, you’re connected,” said Mr. Tanner, who stood next to his car outside the stadium. “We are all Charlie.”
Mr. Tanner was not able to gain entrance to the stadium. Neither could thousands of others who waited for hours in line hoping to see the ceremony.
Debra Archuleta, 64, and her husband drove three days from Arlington, Va.
But when Ms. Archuleta arrived on Sunday, she had to park in an overflow lot and walk two miles just to reach the stadium. Then she saw the line was at least a mile long, and people were already being turned away.
“Lord, make the way where there seems to be no way,” said Ms. Archuleta, who wore a white Charlie Kirk T-shirt she received at a small gathering on Saturday night at Turning Point headquarters in Phoenix.
“I want to see it but it’s still good just to be here,” she added.
Nick Younger, 36, who flew from Boise, said he felt depressed in the days after the assassination. But he said his boss bought him a plane ticket so that he could attend the service, and vowed to press forward even as many of those around him turned around.
“God is with us,” he said.
After getting word that the gates to main stadium were closed, many headed for Desert Diamond Arena, the overflow venue next door.
By 10:30 a.m., many others, realizing they would not get into the memorial, began to head back to their vehicles.
Among them was Jordan Call, 38, who has been following Mr. Kirk since 2012, when he was virtually unknown.
Mr. Kirk’s message resonated with Mr. Call, a conservative Christian who continued to follow him up until he was killed.
“We need free discussion, to invite both sides to express their opinions and beliefs,” Mr. Call said. “I hope that’s what comes of this.”
Chelsia Rose Marcius is a criminal justice reporter for The Times, covering the New York Police Department.
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