‘Incredibly Concerning’: Protesters Disrupt Student-Organized Memorial For Charlie Kirk

What began as a peaceful, student-organized memorial to honor Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk and promote free speech on campus quickly took a turn as protesters disrupted the event and police were forced to intervene.

The University of Manchester’s Pro-Life Society had spent weeks preparing for the gathering, which featured guest speaker Lois Miller, a well-known pro-life advocate. The group hoped the event would serve as a respectful tribute to Kirk’s legacy and an opportunity for open discussion about the value of human life and the importance of free speech.

However, midway through the event, tensions escalated when protesters surrounded the attendees. According to Inge Botha, president of the pro-life group, officers intervened after about ten minutes of mounting pressure.

“When the mob was almost on top of us, the police stepped in,” Botha said. “They formed a barrier between us and the protesters after someone pushed over a portrait of Charlie Kirk.”

Botha added that members of the society flagged posts earlier that day from the university’s Feminist Society and Leftist Society encouraging students to protest the memorial. According to guest speaker Lois Miller’s X page, the protesters outnumbered the pro-life attendees “ten to one” and brought speakers to drown out Miller’s remarks.

Botha was shocked by protesters and their ability to forget that Kirk was a husband and a father with two children.

“No matter who it is, you’d hope people could show some empathy,” Botha said.

One protester showed up in Charlie’s white “Freedom” t-shirt with red paint on his neck and shirt.

She added, “It’s incredibly concerning how comfortable they are with death and murder.”

Botha explained that her group’s mission is rooted in defending human life at all stages.

“We support human life from its beginning to its end,” she said. “We stand against abortion, euthanasia, murder, and assassination.” She hopes to make a difference in abortion and admires Kirk as an avid pro-lifer.

Guest speaker Lois Miller was invited for her extensive research and advocacy within the pro-life movement. In a recent article, titled “The Elephant in the Room Is Abortion,” Miller addressed Britain’s birthrate crisis, citing statistics that show 28% of Britain’s Generation Z were aborted.

“Abortion does not just end lives,” Miller wrote. “It leaves lasting scars on the women who undergo it. Physical complications, mental health struggles, and silent grief ripple through our healthcare system and society.”

Monday’s disruption was not the first time Manchester’s Pro-Life Group faced hostility on campus.

“At our first event, protesters followed us out of the building and down the street,” Botha recalled. “At another, one of our members was followed, and police had to intervene to make sure she could get home safely.”

Despite repeated confrontations, Botha says she remains undeterred and committed to the group’s mission.

“It shows how important open dialogue is,” she said, noting that past events have sparked meaningful conversations with individuals who approached afterward to ask questions and engage respectfully.

The Manchester Pro-Life Group plans to continue to host events that promote discussion around the sanctity of life and the importance of protecting free speech.