Left-wing European lawmakers on Thursday refused to observe a moment of reflection for Charlie Kirk, the U.S. conservative activist shot dead during a college debate event in Utah on Wednesday, triggering a heated confrontation in the chamber in Strasbourg and leading to accusations of political bias.
Swedish MEP Charlie Weimers, of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group, had emailed European Parliament President Roberta Metsola to propose a minute of silence for Kirk, describing the gesture as symbolic and aimed at defending “our right to freedom of speech.”
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola
However, the request was rejected, with her spokesperson citing a bureaucratic rule that minutes of silence can only be declared at the opening of a plenary session, and as this session had started on Monday, he would have to wait until the next sitting in October.
BREAKING: Left-wing MEPs in the European Parliament refuse to observe a minute's silence for Charlie Kirk. pic.twitter.com/i1t0lBzFyn
Weimers was instead allowed to make a point of order before the voting session began.
He opened by urging MEPs to “strongly condemn political violence and rhetoric that incites violence” and asked colleagues to “stand with me in a reflection of prayer in his honor.”
When he tried to yield the remainder of his time for a silent tribute, the session’s chair, Katarina Barley of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), cut him off.
“We have discussed this, and you know the president said no to a minute of silence,” Barley said as conservative MEPs banged their desks and shouted in protest. Centrist and left-wing members applauded and whistled at Barley’s intervention.
Hungarian MEP András László accused Barley of deliberately breaking the tribute: “The socialist chair deliberately started talking immediately.”
Patriots and conservatives demanded a minute of silence in the European Parliament today for Charlie Kirk. As it was expected that the socialist chair wouldn't allow it, @weimers parliamentarian said he'll yield his time for silence. The socialist chair deliberately started… pic.twitter.com/kfyyDhytOX
Weimers later said in a social media video: “I wanted to honor the memory of conservative activist Charlie Kirk by yielding my time for a moment of reflection prayer. Unfortunately, the Social Democratic deputy speaker did not want to have that.”
He captioned the clip:
“How does holding a minute of silence for George Floyd but denying one for Charlie Kirk make sense?”
How does holding a minute of silence for George Floyd but denying one for Charlie Kirk make sense? pic.twitter.com/0CMFaWw2fv
Polish MEP Dominik Tarczyński also lashed out, writing:
“As conservatives, we requested a minute of silence in the European Parliament to honor Charlie Kirk. The left, calling themselves democrats, naturally refused. They are the same everywhere… Even in the face of death, they are incapable of showing human compassion. Therefore, I will organize an exhibition in the European Parliament commemorating Charlie Kirk. His legacy will bear fruit.”
Kirk was killed when a single shot was fired from a distance during a college debate event, striking him in the neck. He was rushed to hospital but did not survive.
Some public-school districtshave refused to saywhether they yanked teachers from classrooms for gleefully celebrating Charlie Kirk’s assassination in sick online posts — while a top House GOPer on Friday demanded the educators be investigated.
One school district still employs a New York-based math teacher who spewed offensive remarks, said New York Rep. Elise Stefanik — and higher-ups overseeing two Texas districts would not say whether they were booting their educators who ghoulishly cheered the 31-year-old conservative activist’s murder Wednesday, outraging some lawmakers and activists.
“These are public school employees. These are the people standing in front of classrooms, tasked with guiding and mentoring our children and students,” Stefanik wrote in a letter to Gov. Kathy Hochul on Friday, demanding an investigation.
Upstate Rep. Elise Stefanik wrote in letter to Gov Kathy Hochul demanding an investigations into New York teachers who made vile comments about Kirk.Hans Pennink for the NY Post
“And yet we are witnessing them weaponize their platforms to cheer on political violence and publicly degrade Americans with different beliefs, while representing our school systems,” Stefanik said.
“The comments… are not only disgraceful and morally repugnant, but they raise immediate and serious questions about whether these individuals should be entrusted with the responsibility of educating our children.”
In her letter, Stefanik called out a previously unreported Beekmantown Central School math teacher who she said cheered Kirk’s death on Facebook by writing, “At least he died happy… surrounded by white folk!”
“Alongside this, the faculty member included a photo of Charlie Kirk with the pronouns ‘was/were’, showing a complete absence of moral character,” Stefanik wrote.
Public school teachers were caught gleefully celebrating Charlie Kirk’s assassination in sick social media posts.@libsoftiktok/TikTok
The lawmaker went on to condemn a Naples Central School teacher who cheered “Good riddance to bad garbage” — and compared Kirk to a Nazi chief — hours after his death. He had reportedly been placed on leave as of Friday.
Stefanik’s letter, which calls for disciplinary action, insists the teachers’ heartless comments are potential proof that “radical” left ideology is “festering” public schools.
“These are not isolated missteps. They reflect a broader, deeply troubling trend of radical ideology festering unchecked in our education system,” Stefanik wrote. “Those who abuse their positions to promote hate and division must be immediately investigated and held accountable.”
South Carolina teacher Wynne Boliek was fired for cheering Kirk’s death.Greenville County Schools
“Such conduct may also raise questions about an educator’s moral character, which may warrant review … regarding disciplinary action,” she added.
Stefanik said the sick statements may violate New York state education law because they “create a hostile or unwelcoming school environment for any student, parent, or colleague.”
As governor, Hochul wields little power over the state Education Department, and firing teachers can be notoriously difficult because of union-friendly collective bargaining agreements.
A third New York-based teacher, from Genessee, had also bashed Kirk on social media after his murder, writing, “Flags at half staff for Charlie Kirk? F–k that. He was a hateful bigot and scumbag.”
The teacher, Michael Chiulli, apologized and was placed on leave, according to district documents obtained by The Post.
Of the roughly half a dozen teachers exposed for publicly mocking Kirk’s death Wednesday, at least two appeared to still be teaching Friday.
They include Jennifer Courtmanch, a high-school teacher at Robert E. Lee High in Baytown, Texas, who wrote, “Could Kirk have baited just ONE too many people? Could this have been the consequences of his actions catching up with him?”
Courtmanch teaches at a high school in Baytown, Texas.jcourtemanchephotography/Facebook
Her school superintendent, Randal O’Brien, wouldn’t comment on if she’d be fired but vowed to “address any behavior that undermines the safety and well-being of students or staff in accordance with district policies and procedures” in a Houston Chronicle report Thursday.
No action appeared to be taken against Joshua Baker, biology teacher from Pasadena, Texas, who wrote, “1 down. Now get the rest of these fools.”
The school districtdenounced his commentas “inappropriate and insensitive” but did not say Thursday whether the teacher would be punished.
Pasadena Independent School District Toni Lopez didn’t return a call from The Post on Friday.
It wasn’t clear if any action had been taken against Kristen Eve, a teacher at the Department of Defense Education Activity at Fort Bragg, NC, who alleged wrote on Facebook: “[Kirk] was a garbage human.”
Kristen Eve, a teacher at the Department of Defense Education Activity at Fort Bragg, NC, allegedly wrote on Facebook: “He was a garbage human.”Facebook
Meanwhile, at least five teachers exposed for the ghoulish comments had reportedly been placed on leave or fired as of Friday.
Sen. George Borello (R-Chautauqua) called it outrageous that any of the teachers were still in the classroom.
“This is insane that we are allowing these vile people, who are celebrating murder, to teach our children,” state Sen. George Borello (R-Chautauqua) told The Post.
Tyler Robinson was arrested in the murder of Charlie Kirk.AP
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-Texas) told The Post the teachers in question have, “no business shaping the minds of America’s youth.
“I have never been more disgusted with people than I have this week, watching the reaction to Charlie Kirk’s assassination,” Jackson said. “The fact that schoolteachers entrusted to educate our children are cheering his death is sickening.”
Nicole Neily, the founder and president of the conservative group Parents Defending Education, called for the offensive teachers to be fired.
“There are some professions where publicly celebrating a political assassination is disqualifying because it indicates you are unfit for the job,” Neily said.
Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at a Utah Valley University speaking engagement.
“Teaching is one of those jobs and immediate termination is not only appropriate but necessary.”
Other booted teachers include Samantha Marengo of King Elementary School in Framingham, Mass., who merrily sang, “God bless America” in an online video — before a breaking into a news report on Kirk’s assassination. She was placed on leave Friday, according Boston.com
Matthew Kargol, an Oskaloosa, Iowa teacher who happily declared “one Nazi down!” was also placed on leave, the local station kltv.com reported.
Wynne Boliek of Greenville, SC, who proclaimed, “America became better today” after the assassination was fired.
Hochul’s office, asked by The Post about Stefanik’s call pushing for an investigation into any involved New York teachers, responded by pointing to comments the governor made earlier in the day in which she noted “the rise of political violence right here at home.
“We’ve seen it in an assassination attempt on our President; the murder of Charlie Kirk,” she said. “We can’t allow it to escalate.”
The state Education Department — while noting the “urgent need for civil discourse and ensuring a safe and supportive school climate for all students and school employees” — said it “does not confirm nor deny the existence of investigations.”
Researchers from a large health care system in Michigan found that vaccinated children were more likely to develop a chronic health condition, but never published the findings, according to a copy of the study obtained by The Epoch Times.
Henry Ford Health System, whose employees carried out the study, said it was deficient.
Dr. Marcus Zervos, an infectious disease specialist at the Henry Ford Health, and colleagues studied 18,468 children born between 2000 and 2016 who were enrolled in the health system’s insurance plan, drawing data from medical, clinical, and payer records and supplementing with information from Michigan’s immunization registry.
After 10 years, 57 percent of the vaccinated children had a chronic health condition such as asthma, compared to just 17 percent of the unvaccinated children.
“This study found that exposure to vaccination was independently associated with an overall 2.5-fold increase in the likelihood of developing a chronic health condition, when compared to children unexposed to vaccination,” the authors wrote. “This association was primarily driven by asthma, atopic disease, eczema, autoimmune disease and neurodevelopmental disorders. This suggests that in certain children, exposure to vaccination may increase the likelihood of developing a chronic health condition, particularly for one of these conditions.”
The study was first reported by Aaron Siri, managing partner of Siri & Glimstad LLP, this month in his book, Vaccines, Amen: The Religion of Vaccines.
Before receiving a copy of the study, The Epoch Times asked Zervos and his coauthors for it and questioned why it was never published.
Zervos responded to questions about the study by asking in an email, “Can you tell me what book this appeared in.” When told, he did not respond further.
Co-authors did not return inquiries.
A spokesperson for Henry Ford Health acknowledged that researchers there carried out the study.
“This report was not published because it did not meet the rigorous scientific standards we demand as a premier medical research institution,” a spokesperson for Henry Ford Health told The Epoch Times in an email. “Data has consistently shown vaccinations are a safe and effective way to protect children against potentially life-altering diseases.”
‘The Only Real Problem’
Siri, who has worked with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., represents a group called the Informed Consent Action Network. He and Del Bigtree, the group’s CEO, say they met with Zervos in 2017 and proposed that he compare the health of vaccinated and unvaccinated children.
They initially proposed obtaining data from a federal network called Vaccine Safety Datalink, but Zervos suggested utilizing the health data from Henry Ford Health, Siri wrote in his book.
Siri requested that the researchers publish the results of the study, regardless of what it showed.
“Dr. Zervos looked us right in the eyes and assured us that he was a man of integrity and would publish the results, whatever the finding,” Siri said.
Siri received a copy of the study in 2020. He and Bigtree say that Zervos and a coauthor told them that superiors at Henry Ford Health did not want it submitted for publication and that they were concerned they could lose their jobs if they submitted it.
“The only real problem with this study—and why it didn’t get submitted for publication—is that its findings did not fit the belief and the policy that ‘vaccines are safe,’” Siri said during a Senate hearing in Washington on Sept. 9. “Had it found vaccinated children were healthier, it no doubt would have been published immediately. But because it found the opposite, it was shoved in a drawer.”
Previous research comparing vaccinated and unvaccinated children has returned mixed results. A German study published in 2011, for instance, found that unvaccinated children were more likely to suffer diseases targeted by vaccines. An American study published in 2020 found vaccinated children had higher odds of suffering from developmental delays, asthma, and ear infections in their first year of life.
Dr. Jake Scott, an infectious disease doctor at Stanford University’s School of Medicine, told the hearing that he reviewed the study and found it problematic. One issue was how vaccinated children visited doctors during the study period more often than unvaccinated children, according to Scott.
“When diagnoses require doctor visits, children seeing doctors more often will inevitably have more recorded conditions,” he said. “This is classic detection bias that inflates risk estimates without reflecting true health differences.”
Even after excluding unvaccinated children whose parents never took them to the doctor following birth, the vaccinated group still had an increased risk of developing a chronic health condition, the researchers stated, according to Zervos and the other researchers. They also analyzed the data at one, three, and five years following birth and found that the vaccinated children were still more likely to develop a chronic health condition. “Therefore, our findings do not appear to be due to differential use of health resources,” they wrote.
The researchers also said that their findings “cannot prove causality and warrant future investigation.”
The hearing was held by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), chairman of the panel, said during the hearing that the study was “high-quality” and “suspiciously withheld by the authors.”
Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), its ranking member, questioned why it has taken five years following completion for the study to be disclosed to the public.
“My hope has always been that the scientists would publish it,” Siri said. “And we’ve tried to persuade them many, many times, so it could go through the normal, peer-review process.”
