Too many people silent on Charlie Kirk killing, Irish deputy premier says

Too many people “have remained silent” over the killing of US political activist Charlie Kirk, Ireland’s deputy premier has said.

Mr Kirk, a 31-year-old ally of US president Donald Trump, was shot dead at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Simon Harris said there needs to be “consistent” condemnation of political threats and violence.

He said: “Too many people use the word ‘but’ in relation to what happened overnight.

“It’s extraordinarily easy to condemn violent acts against somebody with whom you share their views.

“It is much more important that we are consistent in terms of calling it out when it’s against somebody whose work, whose views differ to us.”

The Tanaiste’s comments come after a spate of violent threats against him and his family, including bomb threats made in relation to his family home.

Breaking ground at a development of 395 homes in Lucan, Dublin, Mr Harris condemned the assassination of the father-of-two as “appalling”, “horrifying” and “deeply disturbing”.

He added: “It sadly seems we’re living in a world now where political violence, political threats, rhetoric around violence and extremism is almost contagious, contagious right across the globe, and it cannot be tolerated.”

Meanwhile, the leader of Ireland’s Green Party told the RTE Radio he thinks the algorithms used by social media platforms “need to be looked at”, adding: “The ability of platforms to bombard vulnerable people with radicalising content, violent content needs to be recognised.”

Mr O’Gorman said he believed “recommender systems need to be turned off” and claimed it would take engagement between the Government and Ireland’s media regulator for that to happen.

Mr Harris said his former coalition partner had made “some interesting points” during the interview.

Ireland’s premier Micheal Martin also condemned the “absolutely shocking assassination” of Mr Kirk, which he said illustrated the “extreme nature of violence in our world today”.

Speaking to reporters in Dublin, Mr Martin said the “cold-blooded” killing had “sent shockwaves through societies across the world”.