Vigils were held for assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk on Friday night, not only across cities and college campuses in the United States, but also in other countries across the globe, including large gatherings in London, UK, and Sydney, Australia.
On Friday night, widow Erika Kirk, for the first time since her husband’s assassination spoke to the public. Delivering a video message from Charlie Kirk’s studio, his chair sitting empty beside her, she cited his love for God, his family, and his country, and pledged to continue his work:
The evildoers responsible for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done. They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith, and of God’s merciful love. They should all know this: If you thought that my husband’s mission was powerful before, you had no idea. You had no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country, in this world. You have no idea.
While the European Parliament did not see fit to do so, the Polish Sejm observed a minute of silence in Kirk’s memory. Hundreds of Catholics also gathered in St. Dominic Catholic Church in Washington, D.C., for a Mass to pray for Kirk’s repose.
Meanwhile, many left-wing commentators, journalists, and activists celebrating his death in posts on social media learned that the impunity with which they’ve been able to lie about, badmouth, and insult conservatives has come to an end. On Friday, social media was filled with reports of leftists who, after cheering for the assassination, were fired from their places of employment or lost contracts because of their statements.
A Tennessee university fired two employees and withdrew an internship from a student after their postings. A Mississippi university fired an executive assistant for “hurtful, insensitive comments.” NASDAQ reportedly fired a lower-level employee for a social media post celebrating the brutal killing, saying on X that the company “has a zero-tolerance policy toward violence and any commentary that condones or celebrates violence.”
A Marine was fired after derogatory posts about Kirk, and the U.S. Department of Defense issued statements warning military personnel that celebrating or mocking the assassination of a fellow American is unacceptable and that there would be consequences. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau also posted on X that “foreigners who glorify violence and hatred are not welcome visitors to our country.” While that statement has been interpreted as the U.S. planning to deny visas to people celebrating Kirk’s death, no formal decision to that effect has yet been forthcoming.
