Bluesky warned users Thursday that celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk violated its rules after dozens of posts on the platform celebrated the grisly killing of the conservative activist.
While some of the reactions to Kirk’s assassination on Bluesky condemned the murder — many took the opportunity to rip the slain activist over his politics with a torrent of personal attacks.
Author Wajahat Ali called the shooting “criminal, wrong, and should be condemned,” but added that Kirk was “a horrible, hateful man” who targeted marginalized groups, saying, “I refuse to sanitize him.”
Comedian John Fugelsang wrote: “Do these idiots even realize that shooting Charlie Kirk makes you a worse person than Charlie Kirk?”
Others were openly hostile. One user posted, “The person who motivated the shooting of Charlie Kirk was Charlie Kirk.”
Another wrote, “charlie kirk lived and died in the america that charlie kirk wanted to exist.”
A different account said, “RIP Charlie Kirk, you would have loved politicizing the shooting of Charlie Kirk.”
The band The USA Singers resurfaced an old headline quoting Kirk saying gun deaths were “unfortunately” worth the cost of preserving the Second Amendment, while another user posted a Rolling Stone article in which Kirk suggested a “patriot” should bail out Paul Pelosi’s attacker, captioning it, “F–k Charlie Kirk.”
“Glorifying violence or harm violates Bluesky’s Community Guidelines,” the company posted.
“We review reports and take action on content that celebrates harm against anyone. Violence has no place in healthy public discourse.”
Kirk, 31, founder of Turning Point USA and a close ally of President Donald Trump, was shot in the neck Wednesday while speaking under a tent at Utah Valley University.
Police said a gunman fired from a rooftop overlooking the courtyard.
Kirk collapsed and later died at a hospital.
The assassination sent shockwaves through conservative circles. But within hours, social media feeds filled with celebratory posts from critics.
Bluesky, which surged in popularity after the 2024 election as a rival to Elon Musk’s X, moved quickly to warn its users.
Bluesky’s decentralized moderation and customizable feeds appealed to progressives seeking refuge from X — though critics say it has become an ideological echo chamber.
Despite rapid growth, analysts warn its heavy partisan tilt could limit broader influence unless it attracts a more politically diverse user base.
The platform’s action showed the growing challenge facing social media companies in balancing free expression with the policing of violent rhetoric.
Democrat politicians and liberal pundits have sparked outrage with comments in the wake of the Kirk assassination — with some appearing to blame the late activist for his own shooting.
Meta, Reddit, Discord and YouTube also announced measures to restrict content tied to the killing.\
Reddit spokesperson Gina Antonini told the news site The Verge: “Our sitewide rules prohibit encouraging, glorifying, inciting, or calling for violence.”
She said moderators were instructed to use enforcement tools to remove posts celebrating Kirk’s death.
Meta spokesperson Francis Brennan said the company was taking down “the most graphic content” of the shooting while applying warning labels to sensitive videos. He added that younger users’ access was being restricted.
Discord said it was “actively removing video and other content related to this incident that violates our policies,” stressing that glorifying violence is banned.
YouTube spokesperson Jack Malon said the video site was “elevating news coverage” while stripping out graphic clips and age-restricting others. He added that YouTube banned content “reveling in or mocking the death or serious injury of an identifiable individual.”
TikTok and X did not immediately comment.
Video of the assassination spread across platforms almost instantly. Clips recorded by witnesses showed Kirk tossing hats into the crowd before recoiling from a bullet wound to his neck.
Most mainstream outlets avoided showing the moment of impact. But raw footage ricocheted across social platforms, where moderators scrambled to contain it.
Authorities said the suspected shooter wore dark clothing and fired a single shot from a nearby rooftop before fleeing.
FBI Director Kash Patel wrote on X that one person detained after the attack was later released. Another individual was also questioned and freed. Patel said investigators were working “multiple active crime scenes.”
Trump confirmed Kirk’s death on Truth Social: “The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me.”
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told reporters: “Enough of this. This is horrific. The assassination of Charlie Kirk risks an uncorking of political chaos and violence that we cannot risk in America.”
Kirk, who launched Turning Point USA in 2012, had built a national profile with combative speeches on college campuses and frequent appearances on Fox News. He praised the fall of Roe v. Wade, railed against diversity programs and urged supporters to buy firearms.
Kirk’s assassination is being treated by investigators as a political killing.
The shooting drew comparisons to the July 2024 attempt on Trump’s life in Pennsylvania, where a gunman fired into a campaign rally, killing one and injuring several others.
At Utah Valley University, police chief Jeff Long said six officers and Kirk’s private security were present when the gunman struck.
“You try to get your bases covered, and unfortunately, today, we didn’t,” Long said.
Roughly 3,000 people were in attendance.
Turning Point USA said it would hold a memorial rally in Phoenix. “Charlie gave his life for freedom,” the group said.
Funeral arrangements have not been released.
The shooter remains at large. Federal, state, and local agencies said they are combing security footage and canvassing neighborhoods near the Orem campus.
