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More than 600 people were fired or punished for posting about Charlie Kirk’s death. They want justice (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 3 hours ago by breakfastmtn@piefed.ca to c/politics@lemmy.world

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Acolytes of the far-right activist urged employers to fire his critics. Now those who were terminated are suing and claiming their right to free speech

Julie Strebe, a 55-year-old sheriff’s deputy in the small Bible belt town of Salem, Missouri, was on a date with her husband at a Buffalo Wild Wings when her husband slid his phone across the table. On Facebook, people were demanding Strebe’s immediate termination, calling her a “wacko” with “extreme mental health issues”.

It was the afternoon of 13 September 2025, just a few days after Charlie Kirk had been killed by a sniper’s bullet on a college campus. Shortly after his assassination, Strebe had posted on her personal Facebook page: “Empathy is not owed to oppressors.” In comments underneath, she did not mince words. She called Kirk a racist, a sexist, an antisemite and the kind of person who wants to see gay people, like her own son, stoned to death. “I don’t feel bad,” she says, months later, speaking from her home. “I refuse to feel bad for this man, and the hateful things he stood for.”

. . .

By November of 2025, a Reuters investigation estimated that 600 people had been terminated, disciplined, investigated, suspended or otherwise admonished for their Kirk posts, likening the reaction to an ideological purge.

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[-] RustyShackleford@piefed.social 9 points 23 minutes ago

[-] Hayduke@lemmy.world 42 points 3 hours ago

Conservatives sure can be a pain in the neck.

[-] homes@piefed.world 12 points 3 hours ago* (last edited 3 hours ago)

See, this is what happens when your kids are assholes, and you let them get away with it. They grow up to be unscrupulous assholes who believe they can get away with anything.

[-] Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world 2 points 2 hours ago

......yeah. Neck. That's the right word.....

[-] daychilde@lemmy.world 25 points 3 hours ago

Again and again we see MAGA pretend to be scared while making threats and causing harm to the people they don't like. Many documented instances of right-wing nutjobs harming progressives. Sure, you can find a handful of progressives harming MAGA, but it's sure not at the same rate.

I'm tired of these regressive fascists ruining our country and pretending they're the only patriotic Americans.

[-] lolola@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 2 hours ago

True justice would be a do-over victory-lap news cycle where we all openly and loudly celebrate the death of this stupid idiot fascist cunt for a week straight, and publicly stone anyone who even hints at having a shred of empathy for him.

[-] daychilde@lemmy.world 9 points 2 hours ago

Yeah, I've lost any and all patience for fascist whining and bullshit. Screw their feelings. Punch a nazi.

[-] 6stringringer@lemmy.zip 5 points 2 hours ago

Dig him up & do it again.

[-] FatVegan@leminal.space 1 points 28 minutes ago

Kill Ben Shapiro and see if these people learned their lesson

[-] 13igTyme@piefed.social 2 points 2 hours ago

Lost their jobs? That's a real shot in the neck.

this post was submitted on 18 Feb 2026

174 points (99.4% liked)

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