A London pub said it will permanently name its entertainment lounge the "Charlie Kirk Debate Room" to honor the conservative activist Charlie Kirk and will host events celebrating free speech and his achievements, the landlord announced in a press release obtained by Fox News Digital.
Biddy Mulligan's Olympia, located in Brook Green in the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham, also said it will temporarily rename the establishment "The Trump Arms" for the duration of President Donald Trump's upcoming visit to the United Kingdom. The moves were announced after Kirk was shot while speaking to students at Utah Valley University on Sept. 10, an attack that has prompted vigils and tributes across the United States and abroad.
Landlord Damien Smyth said he was personally shocked by Kirk's death and framed the dedications as a stand against political violence. "Millions of people around the world have been left horrified that a decent family man like Charlie could be slaughtered during a peaceful and open public debate," Smyth said in the statement. He said the pub owed it to Kirk's family "to send a clear message that we stand against the rise of left-wing extremism and violence." The press release described Kirk as "one of the MAGA movement’s brightest stars."
The pub said the Charlie Kirk Debate Room will offer patrons "the opportunity to celebrate the life" of the Turning Point USA founder and will host events intended to mark free-speech principles. Kirk, 31, founded Turning Point USA, a conservative youth organization, and was speaking at a public event at Utah Valley University when he was shot, according to law enforcement and news reports.
Smyth said the pub's temporary rebranding to "The Trump Arms" is intended to coincide with President Trump's visit and to show support for the Republican leader. "President Trump has been democratically elected not once, but twice, and deserves respect for all his achievements in making America great again," Smyth said in the release. He said the Trump Arms signage would remain in place until the president concluded his visit.
A regular customer quoted in the release, Patrick Sullivan, praised Trump's policies, saying the president had "cracked down on crime, curbed illegal immigration and reversed America’s decline," and added that the British view American leadership with envy.
The pub's announcements follow a wave of memorials and vigils for Kirk across the United States in the days after the shooting. The decisions by a London establishment to create a permanent memorial room and to temporarily adopt a pro-Trump name reflect how the incident has reverberated beyond U.S. borders. The press release did not provide dates for planned events in the debate room or specific programming details, and representatives for Biddy Mulligan's Olympia did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.
Public tributes to political figures who die violently have at times spurred debate about public memory, political symbolism and the intersection of politics and private enterprise. In this case, the pub's naming decisions have been framed by its owner as expressions of solidarity with Kirk's family and support for conservative political figures and causes.
Officials investigating the shooting in Utah have released limited details publicly as the case proceeds. Local authorities and university officials in Utah have said they will provide updates as inquiries continue and as additional information becomes available.