ATLANTA — After the deadly shooting of Charlie Kirk on Wednesday, University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue called for change and said he plans to defend free speech across Georgia’s 26 public colleges and universities.

Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was speaking at an event in Utah when he was fatally shot.

“We’ve got certain areas on campuses where anyone who believes anything in that regard as long as they’re civil and safe and not harming other people have the right to speak up,” Perdue said.

Perdue added that he will continue to defend academic freedom and free expression while also ensuring that every student has the opportunity to learn in a respectful and safe environment.

“A part of our responsibility at the University System of Georgia is to help young people understand that not everyone is going to agree with them,” he said. “Not everyone is going to think like they think. How they converse, how they communicate in a civil discourse respectfully and help to persuade and be persuaded by the others’ opinion. That is the essence of education.”