Right-wing lawmakers pushed for a tribute to the U.S. conservative influencer who was shot dead.

Right-wing lawmakers pushed for a tribute to the U.S. conservative influencer who was shot dead.

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola on Thursday rejected a bid by right-wing factions to hold a minute of silence for slain U.S. conservative influencer Charlie Kirk.

The initiative was first proposed by Charlie Weimers, an MEP from the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), as a symbolic measure “to declare that our right to freedom of speech cannot be extinguished,” according to an email chain with dozens of MEPs that was seen by POLITICO.

    • Artisian@lemmy.worldEnglish
      1·
      2 days ago

      I went ahead and did the calculation; I think I’m getting about 4 weeks (extrapolating from the last year, 20k dead kids -> 2 weeks of silence. Doubled for the two years.).

      Lower than I expected. I’m guessing I haven’t internalized that gaza is still a fairly small area, thus with a small population? Or was the first year substantially more deadly than the last (which really would surprise me)?

      • Evil_Shrubbery@thelemmy.clubEnglish
        2·
        2 days ago

        Yes, but imagine a solemn minute for each named individual that lasts 5 weeks non-stop.
        Not counting mutilated, orphaned, and (basically all of them, so 700k-ish) homeless. And with zero prospect of it ever getting better until they are alive.

        I went with this figure, but same diff:

        In August 2025, UNICEF estimated that more than 50,000 children had been killed or injured in Gaza.

        wiki/Effect_of_the_Gaza_war_on_children_in_the_Gaza_Strip
        bbc.com/c4gmk2yj5e9o

        The reason for the high number of children deaths even assuming indiscriminate killing (ie not targeting specifically children, which at least proven for snipers, isn’t the case): Gaza/Palestinians are being severely oppressed for decades (since 48, or 67 more directly), they have artificially limited water access, electricity, medicine, etc so they die young & in Gaza like 40% of the population are children.

        Gaza Strip has a ×2.6 higher density of population than New York City (5,967.5/km2 vs 2,309.2/km2), but less than a quarter of population.
        Bcs oppression.

        General wiki info:

        The Gaza Strip is 41 kilometres (25 miles) long, from 6 to 12 km (3.7 to 7.5 mi) wide, and has a total area of 365 km2 (141 sq mi). As of 2010, the Strip’s population mostly comprised Palestinians and refugees. It has a high proportion of youth, with 43.5% being children 14 or younger and 50% under age of 18. Sunni Islam is almost ubiquitous, with a Palestinian Christian minority. Gaza has an annual population growth rate of 1.99% (2023 est.), the 39th-highest in the world. Gaza’s unemployment rate is among the highest in the world, with an overall unemployment rate of 46% and a youth unemployment rate of 70%. Despite this, the area’s 97% literacy rate is higher than that of nearby Egypt, while youth literacy is 88%. Gaza has throughout the years been seen as a source of Palestinian nationalism and resistance.

        Til - despite all the hardship they have higher literacy than USA with 86% (normal countries are ofc 98+).