BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Protesters gathered outside Dignity Health Arena Thursday night during a Megyn Kelly speaking event, organized in response to comments the former Fox News anchor made about Jeffrey Epstein on her podcast.
Heather Silvis organized the protest after Kelly made remarks about the convicted child sex offender during the November 12 episode of "The Megyn Kelly Show."
"This isn't about politics, this is about children, this is about protecting children and making sure that children know that there are adults that are willing to stand up for them," Silvis said.
During the podcast discussion, Kelly stated she knew someone close to the Epstein case and made comments about the ages of his victims.
"This was this person's view, who was there for a lot of this, but he was into the barely legal type, like, he liked 15-year-old girls. I don't know what's true about him but we have yet to see anybody come forward and say I was under 10, I was under 14, when I first came within his purview," Kelly said during the show.
Kelly also said talking about Epstein makes her skin crawl and makes her sick, but noted there is a difference between a 15-year-old and a 5-year-old.
Silvis said the comments troubled her because Epstein's victims were minors who deserve protection.
"I think in the news a lot of people are talking about the Epstein survivors as if they were grown women when they were assaulted by the people who were assaulting them, but they weren't, they were children, they were teenagers, and they deserve our protection," Silvis said.
Attendees at Kelly's event said they came to support the Turning Point USA movement and Charlie Kirk, who was scheduled to appear as a guest before his assassination.
Eugene Mullenmeister, a Kern County resident attending the event, acknowledged the protesters' right to demonstrate.
"You know, it's a free country, First Amendment, you have the right to protest," Mullenmeister said.
Protesters said they are tired of political division in the country and want people to unite around protecting children.
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