Crowds Gather at London Churchill Statue to Honor Charlie Kirk

The gathering featured lit candles and whispered prayers as supporters paid tribute to Kirk's life and work, according to social media posts documenting the event.

Rudy Blalock

Published: 9/12/2025, 11:26:57 PM EDT

Crowds Gather at London Churchill Statue to Honor Charlie Kirk — A person holds a placard during a vigil for youth activist and influencer Charlie Kirk at the Montgomery Statue, in Westminster, central London, on Sept. 12, 2025. (Chris J Ratcliffe/AFP via Getty Images)

Hundreds of mourners assembled at the Winston Churchill statue in London Thursday night to honor Charlie Kirk, the conservative American activist who was assassinated earlier this week at a Utah university campus.

The gathering featured lit candles and whispered prayers as supporters paid tribute to Kirk's life and work, according to social media posts documenting the event. Videos shared online showed crowds breaking into the hymn "Amazing Grace" in central London.

"He may have been an American loved by America. But Britain and Europe loved him just as much," according to a post on X by Inevitable West that included a video of hundreds gathered who were singing the song.

Supporters described the memorial as demonstrating "faith, resilience, and renewed unity," according to an Instagram post by Thekindjoe.

Kirk, 31, was fatally shot Tuesday while speaking and answering questions at Utah Valley University during his "American Comeback Tour." The CEO and co-founder of conservative youth organization Turning Point USA was a prominent podcaster and ally of President Donald Trump.

Tyler Robinson, 22, was arrested Thursday night in connection with Kirk's death, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox announced. Investigators believe Robinson acted alone in the killing.

"We got him," Cox told reporters at a news conference Friday announcing Robinson's arrest. Robinson is scheduled to appear in court early next week and was being held without bail on charges including aggravated murder and felony discharge of a firearm.

Robinson fired a single shot from a distant rooftop while Kirk was speaking at a debate. Social media videos show Kirk reaching for his neck as blood flowed from the left side of his body following the gunshot.

The suspect's family reported he had become "more political in recent years" and had criticized Kirk, saying "Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate," according to Cox.

A rifle hidden in a towel was recovered in a wooded area near the campus. Ammunition found at the scene contained "taunting, anti-fascist and meme culture messaging," Cox said.

Robinson attended Utah State University for one semester in 2021 on an academic scholarship before transferring to Dixie Technical College, where he was studying in an electrical apprenticeship program. He had no prior criminal record and was registered as an unaffiliated voter.

Kirk's assassination prompted widespread condemnation from politicians across party lines. Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom called the attack "disgusting, vile, and reprehensible."

Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff and announced plans to posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom. "He wanted to help young people, and he didn't deserve this," Trump said Friday.

Cox described Kirk's killing as "an attack on the American experiment" and urged Americans to use the tragedy as a moment to turn away from political violence and division.

Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 at age 18 with tea party activist William Montgomery. The organization backed Trump after he secured the 2016 Republican nomination, and Kirk served as a personal aide to Donald Trump Jr. during that campaign.