The murder of Charlie Kirk, a prominent US Republican activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, has shocked many in Europe and the US.
Kirk, a 31-year-old husband and father of two young girls, was hit in the neck yesterday during a speaking event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He died shortly after.
He was a firm believer in open debate with people with opposing views, saying it fostered better mutual understanding and prevented violence.
Authorities described the incident as a targeted “political assassination” carried out by a lone sniper, possibly from a rooftop. The shooter is still being hunted by authorities.
Trump ordered US flags to be flown at half-mast until September 14, in Kirk’s honour, calling him a “martyr for truth and freedom”.
TO MY GREAT FELLOW AMERICANS… pic.twitter.com/oRsrE5TTHr
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2025
The shooting has sparked widespread condemnation of political violence in the US and also affected Europeans, as he was a well known figure thanks to social media.
European leaders were quick to express their condolences.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said: “The news of the killing of Charlie Kirk, a young and popular Republican activist, is shocking.
“A heinous murder, a deep wound for democracy and for those who believe in freedom. My condolences go out to his family, his loved ones and the American Conservative community.”
Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever said: “Political violence is an attack on democracy and freedom of speech everywhere. It can never be accepted.”
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said: “Charlie Kirk’s death is the result of the international hate campaign waged by the progressive-liberal left.
“This is what led to the attacks on Robert Fico [Slovak Prime Minister, May 2024], on Andrej Babiš [former Czech prime minister, September 2] and now on Charlie Kirk. We must stop the hatred! We must stop the hate-mongering Left!”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said it was “heartbreaking that a young family has been robbed of a father and a husband”.
“We must all be free to debate openly and freely without fear – there can be no justification for political violence,” he added.
Starmer did receive some negative reactions, though, due to the perceived encroachment on free speech in the UK.
“Are you f*cking for real , you would have had he [sic] locked up for speaking the truth, you coward,” prominent right-wing activist Tommy Robinson tweeted.
Regarding the shooting, Kemi Badenoch, leader of the UK opposition Conservative Party, said: “There are no words good enough to express the horror of this.”
“The killing of Charlie Kirk is a blow to everything western civilisation stands for: Open discourse, robust debate and peaceful dissent. He lived his life by those very principles, no matter the danger it put him in.
“This may have happened far from our shores, but the rising intolerance of opposing views affects us all. We cannot turn a blind eye to it. My thoughts are with Charlie’s family, his wife Erika and their children,” she said.
Leader of the Reform Party, Nigel Farage, called the murder “a very dark day for American Democracy”.
UK broadcaster and Brussels Signal podcaster Alex Phillips said: “Charlie was a self educated, firm Christian who showed brilliance and grace and a determination to make the world a better place.
“He has been killed because the radical left have generated a climate of vicious demonisation. The dangerous name calling has to stop before more words become bullets.”
UK TV host Piers Morgan called it “an appalling assault on free speech and democracy”.
“Charlie always welcomed debate, with anyone. This is disgusting and heart-breaking,” he added.
British-Russian political commentator and podcaster Konstantin Kisin said: “It feels like some sort of invisible line has been crossed that we didn’t even know was there.
“I fear his murder will be a tragedy for all of us in ways we will only understand as time unfolds. ”
Jordan Bardella, leader of the National Rally in France referred to the incident as: “The dehumanising rhetoric of the Left and its intolerance fuel political violence.
“No one can ignore this poison that is eating away at our democratic societies.”
Alice Weidel of Germany’s Alternative for Germany (AfD) party said: “Charlie Kirk is dead. A fighter for freedom of speech. He was shot dead by a fanatic who hates our way of life and our way of debating.
“My thoughts are with his family, to whom I offer my sincere condolences. It’s so terrible.”
Further afield, in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said: “Charlie Kirk was murdered for speaking truth and defending freedom. A lion-hearted friend of Israel, he fought the lies and stood tall for Judeo-Christian civilization.
“I spoke to him only two weeks ago and invited him to Israel. Sadly, that visit will not take place. We lost an incredible human being. His boundless pride in America and his valiant belief in free speech will leave a lasting impact.
“Rest in peace, Charlie Kirk,” he said.
Some journalists were less gracious.
News outlets and mainstream media across the continent, such as France 24, RTL, De Standaard, VRT NWS, TAZ, among others, referred to Kirk as “far-right” and “polarising”.
German state outlet ZDF said he “attacked trangender people”and “repeatedly sowed doubt about the government’s measures during the Covid pandemic”.
On social media, others also denounced the US activist. Regelegorila, a popular French streamer, uploaded a video in which he said if he did not “respect someone during his lifetime”, he would not “start doing it after his death”.
“No one is going to mourn him,” Regelegorila said.
On Bluesky, a social media app officially created to have “more positive and civilised debates” after the takeover of X by Elon Musk, there were also many apparently celebrating the death of Kirk.
Trans and far-left extremists on @bluesky are celebrating the shooting of Charlie Kirk.
He had been discussing the trans mass shootings in the U.S. pic.twitter.com/xrMa9bxNcJ
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) September 10, 2025
