A small group of protesters gathered outside Dignity Health Arena on Thursday evening as media personality Megyn Kelly appeared in Bakersfield for a live event. 

They say they were there in response to recent comments Kelly made about Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, which they said minimized the abuse of minors.

Heather Silvis, an educator who organized the protest, said she felt Kelly’s remarks were dismissive of the victims. 

“All children should be protected, and there’s no such thing as a ‘barely legal’ child,” Silvis said. 

She added that many people may not be aware of Kelly’s comments and said the demonstration was not political. 

“This is about protecting kids,” she said.

Silvis also said she and several others bought tickets to attend the event to hear Kelly’s comments firsthand. She said security initially tried to move them across the street, but they were allowed to stay after showing they had purchased tickets.

In the Nov. 12 episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show,” Kelly discussed Epstein and said she spoke with a source “very close to the case.” 

Kelly said the person told her Epstein was “into the barely legal type,” claiming he “liked 15-year-old girls” and that no one had come forward saying they were “under 10” or “under 14” when they first encountered him. 

She said that talking about Epstein “makes her sick” but said there is “a difference between a 15-year-old and a 5-year-old.”

John Hart, a retired journalist and former instructor at Bakersfield College and Cal State Bakersfield, also protested at the arena. 

Hart said he believed Kelly’s comments were “reprehensible” and argued that citing an unnamed source in that way would not be acceptable in a reputable newsroom. 

“It was a disgusting thing for a person in the national spotlight to say,” Hart said.

Protesters said they hoped speaking out would bring attention to the issue and encourage stronger protection for minors.