Tag: Robinson

The Man Accused Of Killing Charlie Kirk Appears In Court For 1st Time As A Judge Weighs Media Access – KXL

PROVO, Utah (AP) — The 22-year-old Utah man charged with killing Charlie Kirk made his first in-person court appearance Thursday as his attorneys push to further limit media access in the high-profile criminal case.

A Utah judge is weighing the public’s right to know details in the prosecution of Tyler Robinson against his attorneys’ concerns that the swarm of media attention could interfere with his right to a fair trial.

Robinson’s legal team and the Utah County Sheriff’s Office have asked Judge Tony Graf to ban cameras in the courtroom.

Prosecutors have charged Robinson with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, just a few miles north of the Provo courthouse. They plan to seek the death penalty.

Robinson arrived in court with restraints on his wrists and ankles and wearing a dress shirt, tie and slacks. He smiled at family members sitting in the front row of the courtroom, where his mother teared up and wiped her eyes with a tissue. Robinson’s father and brother sat next to her.

The defendant had previously appeared in court via video or audio feed from jail.

A coalition of national and local news organizations, including The Associated Press, is fighting to preserve media access in the case.

Graf has already made allowances to protect Robinson’s presumption of innocence before a trial, agreeing that the case has drawn “extraordinary” public attention.

Graf held a closed hearing on Oct. 24 in which attorneys discussed Robinson’s courtroom attire and security protocols. Under a subsequent ruling by the judge, Robinson is allowed to wear street clothes in court during his pretrial hearings but must be physically restrained due to security concerns. Graf also prohibited media from filming or photographing Robinson’s restraints after his attorneys argued widespread images of him shackled and in jail clothing could prejudice future jurors.

Several university students who witnessed Kirk’s assassination attended Thursday’s hearing.

Zack Reese, a Utah Valley University student and “big Charlie Kirk fan,” said he had skepticism about Robinson’s arrest and came to the hearing seeking answers. Reese has family in southwestern Utah, where the Robinsons are from, and said he believes they’re a good family.

Brigham Young University student William Brown, who said he was about 10 feet from Kirk when he was shot, said he felt overwhelmed seeing Robinson walk into the courtroom Thursday.

“I witnessed a huge event, and my brain is still trying to make sense of it,” Brown said. “I feel like being here helps it feel more real than surreal.”

Michael Judd, an attorney for the media coalition, has urged Graf to let the news organizations weigh in on any future requests for closed hearings or other limitations.

The media presence at Utah hearings is already limited, with judges often designating one photographer and one videographer to document a hearing and share their images with other news organizations. Additional journalists can typically attend to listen and take notes, as can members of the public.

Judd wrote in recent filings that an open court “safeguards the integrity of the fact-finding process” while fostering public confidence in judicial proceedings. Criminal cases in the U.S. have long been open to the public, which he argued is proof that trials can be conducted fairly without restricting reporters as they work to keep the public informed.

Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, has called for full transparency, saying, “We deserve to have cameras in there.” Her husband was an ally of President Donald Trump who worked to steer young voters toward conservatism.

Robinson’s legal team says his pretrial publicity reaches as far as the White House, with Trump announcing soon after Robinson’s arrest, “With a high degree of certainty, we have him,” and “I hope he gets the death penalty.”

Attorney Kathy Nester has raised concern that digitally altered versions of Robinson’s initial court photo have spread widely, creating misinformation about the case. Some altered images show Robinson crying or having an outburst in court, which did not happen.

Jordan Vawter

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December 11, 2025
Kirk killing suspect feared being shot by police and agreed to surrender if peaceful, sheriff says

Tyler Robinson, the Utah man charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and agreed to surrender as long as it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he turned himself in with his parents last Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s office, a day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, said Sheriff Nate Brooksby.”He didn’t want a big SWAT team at his parent’s house or his apartment,” said the sheriff, who was only involved with the surrender and not the broader investigation. “He was truly fearful about being shot by law enforcement.”On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.Utah Valley University students returning to campus Wednesday clustered silently, staring down at the barricaded courtyard where an assassin struck down conservative activist Charlie Kirk in an attack that upended the nation.Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus on the first day of classes since the shooting more than a week ago.Matthew Caldwell, 24, said his classmates were quieter and seemed more genuine about being in class, even with sadness still in the air.”The way that we treat each other in our words can ultimately lead to things like this,” he said. “And I think everybody sort of understands that a little bit better now.”Since the shooting, the Republican president has threatened to crack down on what he calls the “radical left” and has classified some groups as domestic terrorists. Former Democratic President Barack Obama said this week that Trump has further divided the country rather than working to bring people together.On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee called on the chief executives of Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit to testify on how they are regulating their platforms to prevent violence.”Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” said GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, signaling a shift for congressional Republicans, who had previously scrutinized online platforms for policing free speech.Video below: Students at Utah Valley University returned to campus after Kirk’s killingHidden note in suspect’s apartmentInvestigators say that sometime after Robinson fired a single fatal shot from the rooftop of a campus building overlooking where Kirk was speaking on Sept. 10, he texted his romantic partner and said to look under a keyboard.There was a note, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to court documents.After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson in southwestern Utah, asked Robinson if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said DNA on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk matched Robinson, who faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday. A judge read the charges and said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.Investigators looking at whether Robinson had helpLaw enforcement officials say they are looking at whether others knew about Robinson’s plans or helped, but they have not said if his partner is among those being investigated, only expressing appreciation for the partner sharing information.The partner apparently never went to law enforcement after receiving the texts. Robinson remained on the run for more than a day until his parents recognized him in a photo released by authorities.Also getting a closer look is the security on the day of the attack. Utah Valley is conducting a review, university President Astrid S. Tuminez said Wednesday.Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox met with students and campus leaders near the shooting scene, saying he understands they might still be haunted and angry over what happened. “What you do with that anger, that’s what determines where we go from here,” he said.Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Trump win back the White House in 2024. His political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through social media, his podcast and campus events.While court documents said Robinson wrote in one text that planned the attack for more than a week, authorities have not said what they believe that entailed.Gray declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings and transgender people.Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say is transgender.Parents said their son became more politicalRobinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned hard left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights, Gray said.She recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy. That person was able to get Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.Robinson detailed movements after the shootingIn a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote about planning to get his rifle from his “drop point,” but that the area was “locked down.”The texts, which Robinson later told his partner to delete, did not include timestamps, leaving it unclear how long after the shooting Robinson sent the messages.”To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote.___Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

OREM, Utah —

Tyler Robinson, the Utah man charged with assassinating Charlie Kirk, was afraid of being shot by police and agreed to surrender as long as it was done peacefully, a sheriff involved with taking him into custody said Wednesday.

Robinson appeared quiet and somber when he turned himself in with his parents last Thursday at the Washington County Sheriff’s office, a day after Kirk was shot and killed at Utah Valley University, said Sheriff Nate Brooksby.

“He didn’t want a big SWAT team at his parent’s house or his apartment,” said the sheriff, who was only involved with the surrender and not the broader investigation. “He was truly fearful about being shot by law enforcement.”

On Tuesday, prosecutors charged the 22-year-old Robinson with capital murder and announced they will seek the death penalty while revealing a series of incriminating messages and DNA evidence that they say connect Robinson to the killing of Kirk, a prominent conservative activist and confidant of President Donald Trump.

Utah Valley University students returning to campus Wednesday clustered silently, staring down at the barricaded courtyard where an assassin struck down conservative activist Charlie Kirk in an attack that upended the nation.

Care stations offering stuffed animals, candy and connections to counseling dotted the campus on the first day of classes since the shooting more than a week ago.

Matthew Caldwell, 24, said his classmates were quieter and seemed more genuine about being in class, even with sadness still in the air.

“The way that we treat each other in our words can ultimately lead to things like this,” he said. “And I think everybody sort of understands that a little bit better now.”

Since the shooting, the Republican president has threatened to crack down on what he calls the “radical left” and has classified some groups as domestic terrorists. Former Democratic President Barack Obama said this week that Trump has further divided the country rather than working to bring people together.

On Wednesday, the House Oversight Committee called on the chief executives of Discord, Steam, Twitch and Reddit to testify on how they are regulating their platforms to prevent violence.

“Congress has a duty to oversee the online platforms that radicals have used to advance political violence,” said GOP Rep. James Comer, the committee chair, signaling a shift for congressional Republicans, who had previously scrutinized online platforms for policing free speech.

Video below: Students at Utah Valley University returned to campus after Kirk’s killing

Hidden note in suspect’s apartment

Investigators say that sometime after Robinson fired a single fatal shot from the rooftop of a campus building overlooking where Kirk was speaking on Sept. 10, he texted his romantic partner and said to look under a keyboard.

There was a note, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to court documents.

After expressing shock, his partner who lived with Robinson in southwestern Utah, asked Robinson if he was the shooter. Robinson responded, “I am, I’m sorry.”

Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said DNA on the trigger of the rifle used to kill Kirk matched Robinson, who faced his first hearing in the case Tuesday. A judge read the charges and said he would appoint an attorney to represent him. A message was left Wednesday with the county’s public defender office.

Robinson’s family has declined to comment to The Associated Press since his arrest.

Investigators looking at whether Robinson had help

Law enforcement officials say they are looking at whether others knew about Robinson’s plans or helped, but they have not said if his partner is among those being investigated, only expressing appreciation for the partner sharing information.

The partner apparently never went to law enforcement after receiving the texts. Robinson remained on the run for more than a day until his parents recognized him in a photo released by authorities.

Also getting a closer look is the security on the day of the attack. Utah Valley is conducting a review, university President Astrid S. Tuminez said Wednesday.

Republican Utah Gov. Spencer Cox met with students and campus leaders near the shooting scene, saying he understands they might still be haunted and angry over what happened. “What you do with that anger, that’s what determines where we go from here,” he said.

Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?

Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

Kirk, a 31-year-old father of two, was credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Trump win back the White House in 2024. His political organization, Arizona-based Turning Point USA, brought young, evangelical Christians into politics through social media, his podcast and campus events.

While court documents said Robinson wrote in one text that planned the attack for more than a week, authorities have not said what they believe that entailed.

Gray declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings and transgender people.

Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say is transgender.

Parents said their son became more political

Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned hard left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights, Gray said.

She recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.

The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy. That person was able to get Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.

Robinson detailed movements after the shooting

In a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote about planning to get his rifle from his “drop point,” but that the area was “locked down.”

The texts, which Robinson later told his partner to delete, did not include timestamps, leaving it unclear how long after the shooting Robinson sent the messages.

“To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote.

___

Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio.

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September 17, 2025
Suspect In Kirk Killing Charged With Aggravated Murder As Prosecutor Says DNA Found On Gun Trigger – KXL

PROVO, Utah (AP) — Prosecutors brought a murder charge Tuesday against the man accused of assassinating Charlie Kirk and outlined evidence, including a text message confession to his partner and a note left beforehand saying he had the opportunity to kill one of the nation’s leading conservative voices “and I’m going to take it.”

DNA on the trigger of the rifle that killed Kirk also matched that of Tyler Robinson, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray said while outlining the evidence and announcing charges that could result in the death penalty if Robinson is convicted.

The prosecutor said Robinson, 22, wrote in one text that he spent more than a week planning the attack on Kirk, a prominent force in politics credited with energizing the Republican youth movement and helping Donald Trump win back the White House in 2024.

“The murder of Charlie Kirk is an American tragedy,” Gray said.

Kirk was gunned down Sept. 10 while speaking with students at Utah Valley University. Prosecutors allege Robinson shot Kirk in the neck with a bolt-action rifle from the roof of a nearby building on the campus in Orem, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) south of Salt Lake City.

Robinson was scheduled to appear on camera for a virtual court hearing Tuesday afternoon. There was no attorney listed in the Utah online court docket for Robinson, even after charges were filed, and his family has declined to comment to The Associated Press.

Was Charlie Kirk targeted over anti-transgender views?
Authorities have not revealed a clear motive in the shooting, but Gray said that Robinson wrote in a text about Kirk to his partner: “I had enough of his hatred. Some hate can’t be negotiated out.”

Robinson also left a note for his partner hidden under a keyboard that said, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk and I’m going to take it,” according to Gray.

The prosecutor declined to answer whether Robinson targeted Kirk for his anti-transgender views. Kirk was shot while taking a question that touched on mass shootings, gun violence and transgender people.

“That is for a jury to decide,” Gray said.

Robinson was involved in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who investigators say was transgender, which hasn’t been confirmed. Gray said the partner has been cooperating with investigators.

Robinson’s partner appeared shocked in the text exchange after the shooting, according to court documents, asking Robinson “why he did it and how long he’d been planning it.”

Parents said their son became more political
While authorities say Robinson hasn’t been cooperating with investigators, they say his family and friends have been talking.

Robinson’s mother told investigators that their son had turned left politically in the last year and became more supportive of gay and transgender rights after dating someone who is transgender, Gray said.

Those decisions prompted several conversations in the household, especially between Robinson and his father. They had different political views and Robinson told his partner in a text that his dad had become a “diehard MAGA” since Trump was elected.

Robinson’s mother recognized him when authorities released a picture of the suspect and his parents confronted him, at which time Robinson said he wanted to kill himself, Gray said.

The family persuaded him to meet with a family friend who is a retired sheriff’s deputy, who persuaded Robinson to turn himself in, the prosecutor said.

Robinson was arrested late Thursday near St. George, the southern Utah community where he grew up, about 240 miles (390 kilometers) southwest of where the shooting happened.

Robinson detailed movements after the shooting
In a text exchange with his partner released by authorities, Robinson wrote: “I had planned to grab my rifle from my drop point shortly after, but most of that side of town got locked down. Its quiet, almost enough to get out, but theres one vehicle lingering.”

Then he wrote: “Going to attempt to retrieve it again, hopefully they have moved on. I haven’t seen anything about them finding it.” After that, he sent: “I can get close to it but there is a squad car parked right by it. I think they already swept that spot, but I don’t wanna chance it.”

He also was worried about losing his grandfather’s rifle and mentioned several times in the texts that he wished he had picked it up, according to the texts shared in court documents, which did not have timestamps. It was unclear how long after the shooting Robinson was texting.

“To be honest I had hoped to keep this secret till I died of old age. I am sorry to involve you,” Robinson wrote in another text to his partner.

Prosecutor says Robinson told partner to delete texts
Robinson discarded the rifle and clothing and asked his roommate to conceal evidence, Gray said.

Robinson was charged with felony discharge of a firearm, punishable by up to life in prison, and obstructing justice, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

He also was charged with witness tampering because he had directed his partner to delete their text messages and told his partner to stay silent if questioned by police, Gray said.

Kash Patel says investigators will look at everyone
FBI Director Kash Patel said Tuesday that agents are looking at “anyone and everyone” who was involved in a gaming chatroom on the social media platform Discord with Robinson. The chatroom involved “a lot more” than 20 people, he said during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing in Washington.

“We are investigating Charlie’s assassination fully and completely and running out every lead related to any allegation of broader violence,” Patel said in response to a question about whether the Kirk shooting was being treated as part of a broader trend of violence against religious groups.

The charges filed Tuesday carry two enhancements, including committing several of the crimes in front of or close to children and carrying out violence based on the subject’s political beliefs.

Gray declined to say whether Robinson’s partner could face charges or whether anyone else might face charges.

Kirk, a dominant figure in conservative politics, became a confidant of President Donald Trump after founding Arizona-based Turning Point USA, one of the nation’s largest political organizations. He brought young, conservative evangelical Christians into politics.

In the days since Kirk’s assassination, Americans have found themselves facing questions about rising political violence, the deep divisions that brought the nation here and whether anything can change.

Despite calls for greater civility, some who opposed Kirk’s provocative statements about gender, race and politics criticized him after his death. Many Republicans have led the push to punish anyone they believe dishonored him, causing both public and private workers to lose their jobs or face other consequences at work.

Jordan Vawter

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September 16, 2025
London protest organized by far-right activist exceeds 100,000 as small clashes break out

A London march organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson drew more than 100,000 people and became unruly Saturday as a small group of his supporters clashed with police officers who were separating them from counterprotesters.Several officers were punched, kicked and struck by bottles tossed by people at the fringes of the “Unite the Kingdom” rally, Metropolitan Police said. Reinforcements with helmets and riot shields were deployed to support the 1,000-plus officers on duty.At least nine people were arrested, but police indicated that many other offenders had been identified and would be held accountable.Police estimated that Robinson drew about 110,000 people, while the rival “March Against Fascism” protest organized by Stand Up To Racism had about 5,000 marchers.Anti-migrant themeRobinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, founded the nationalist and anti-Islam English Defense League and is one of the most influential far-right figures in Britain.The march was billed as a demonstration in support of free speech, with much of the rhetoric by influencers and several far-right politicians from across Europe aimed largely at the perils of migration, a problem much of the continent is struggling to control.“We are both subject to the same process of the great replacement of our European people by peoples coming from the south and of Muslim culture, you and we are being colonized by our former colonies,” far-right French politician Eric Zemmour said.Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and owner of X, who has waded into British politics several times this year, was beamed in by video and condemned the left-leaning U.K. government.“There’s something beautiful about being British, and what I see happening here is a destruction of Britain, initially a slow erosion, but rapidly increasing erosion of Britain with massive uncontrolled migration,” he said.Robinson told the crowd in a hoarse voice that migrants now had more rights in court than the “British public, the people that built this nation.”The marches come at a time when the U.K. has been divided by debate over migrants crossing the English Channel in overcrowded inflatable boats to arrive on shore without authorization.Numerous anti-migrant protests were held this summer outside hotels housing asylum-seekers following the arrest of an Ethiopian man who was later convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in a London suburb. Some of those protests became violent and led to arrests.Sea of flagsParticipants in the “Unite the Kingdom” march carried the St. George’s red-and-white flag of England and the union jack, the state flag of the United Kingdom, and chanted, “We want our country back.”U.K. flags have proliferated this summer across the U.K. — at events and on village lampposts — in what some have said is a show of national pride and others said reflects a tilt toward nationalism.Supporters held signs saying “Stop the boats,” “Send them home” and “Enough is enough, save our children.”At the counterprotest, the crowd held signs saying “Refugees welcome” and “Smash the far right,” and shouted, “Stand up, fight back.”Robinson supporters chanted crude refrains about U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, leader of the center-left Labour Party, and also shouted messages of support for slain U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk.Several speakers paid tribute to Kirk, who was remembered in a moment of silence, followed by a bagpiper playing “Amazing Grace.”One demonstrator held a sign saying: “Freedom of speech is dead. RIP Charlie Kirk.”Crowd covered blocks of LondonThe crowd at one point stretched from Big Ben across the River Thames and around the corner beyond Waterloo train station, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile (around a kilometer).The marches had been mostly peaceful, but toward the late afternoon, “Unite the Kingdom” supporters threw items at the rival rally and tried to break through barriers set up to separate the groups, police said. Officers had to use force to keep a crowd-control fence from being breached.Counterprotesters heckled a man with blood pouring down his face who was being escorted by police from the group of Robinson supporters. It was not immediately clear what happened to him.While the crowd was large, it fell far short of one of the biggest recent marches when a pro-Palestinian rally drew an estimated 300,000 people in November 2023.Robinson had planned a “Unite the Kingdom” rally last October, but could not attend after being jailed for contempt of court for violating a 2021 High Court order barring him from repeating libelous allegations against a Syrian refugee who successfully sued him. He previously served jail time for assault and mortgage fraud.

LONDON —

A London march organized by far-right activist Tommy Robinson drew more than 100,000 people and became unruly Saturday as a small group of his supporters clashed with police officers who were separating them from counterprotesters.

Several officers were punched, kicked and struck by bottles tossed by people at the fringes of the “Unite the Kingdom” rally, Metropolitan Police said. Reinforcements with helmets and riot shields were deployed to support the 1,000-plus officers on duty.

At least nine people were arrested, but police indicated that many other offenders had been identified and would be held accountable.

Police estimated that Robinson drew about 110,000 people, while the rival “March Against Fascism” protest organized by Stand Up To Racism had about 5,000 marchers.

Anti-migrant theme

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, founded the nationalist and anti-Islam English Defense League and is one of the most influential far-right figures in Britain.

The march was billed as a demonstration in support of free speech, with much of the rhetoric by influencers and several far-right politicians from across Europe aimed largely at the perils of migration, a problem much of the continent is struggling to control.

“We are both subject to the same process of the great replacement of our European people by peoples coming from the south and of Muslim culture, you and we are being colonized by our former colonies,” far-right French politician Eric Zemmour said.

Elon Musk, Tesla CEO and owner of X, who has waded into British politics several times this year, was beamed in by video and condemned the left-leaning U.K. government.

“There’s something beautiful about being British, and what I see happening here is a destruction of Britain, initially a slow erosion, but rapidly increasing erosion of Britain with massive uncontrolled migration,” he said.

Robinson told the crowd in a hoarse voice that migrants now had more rights in court than the “British public, the people that built this nation.”

The marches come at a time when the U.K. has been divided by debate over migrants crossing the English Channel in overcrowded inflatable boats to arrive on shore without authorization.

Numerous anti-migrant protests were held this summer outside hotels housing asylum-seekers following the arrest of an Ethiopian man who was later convicted of sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in a London suburb. Some of those protests became violent and led to arrests.

Sea of flags

Participants in the “Unite the Kingdom” march carried the St. George’s red-and-white flag of England and the union jack, the state flag of the United Kingdom, and chanted, “We want our country back.”

U.K. flags have proliferated this summer across the U.K. — at events and on village lampposts — in what some have said is a show of national pride and others said reflects a tilt toward nationalism.

Supporters held signs saying “Stop the boats,” “Send them home” and “Enough is enough, save our children.”

At the counterprotest, the crowd held signs saying “Refugees welcome” and “Smash the far right,” and shouted, “Stand up, fight back.”

Robinson supporters chanted crude refrains about U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer, leader of the center-left Labour Party, and also shouted messages of support for slain U.S. conservative activist Charlie Kirk.

Several speakers paid tribute to Kirk, who was remembered in a moment of silence, followed by a bagpiper playing “Amazing Grace.”

One demonstrator held a sign saying: “Freedom of speech is dead. RIP Charlie Kirk.”

Crowd covered blocks of London

The crowd at one point stretched from Big Ben across the River Thames and around the corner beyond Waterloo train station, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile (around a kilometer).

The marches had been mostly peaceful, but toward the late afternoon, “Unite the Kingdom” supporters threw items at the rival rally and tried to break through barriers set up to separate the groups, police said. Officers had to use force to keep a crowd-control fence from being breached.

Counterprotesters heckled a man with blood pouring down his face who was being escorted by police from the group of Robinson supporters. It was not immediately clear what happened to him.

While the crowd was large, it fell far short of one of the biggest recent marches when a pro-Palestinian rally drew an estimated 300,000 people in November 2023.

Robinson had planned a “Unite the Kingdom” rally last October, but could not attend after being jailed for contempt of court for violating a 2021 High Court order barring him from repeating libelous allegations against a Syrian refugee who successfully sued him. He previously served jail time for assault and mortgage fraud.

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September 13, 2025
What we know about Tyler Robinson, the suspect who allegedly killed Charlie Kirk

Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of killing conservative activist Charlie Kirk, grew up in a quiet, close-knit community in Washington, Utah, where most neighbors attended the same neighborhood church and know each other by their first name.

“I’m shocked,” said Kristin Schwiermann, a 66-year-old neighbor. “That’s not the kid I knew.”

Like most of the people in the community, Robinson, his parents and two brothers attended the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints church less than a mile away, Scwiermann said.

So it was strange to Schwiermann and others when the quiet neighborhood became filled with strange vans, SUVs and other unmarked police cars at about 7:30 p.m. Thursday. She wondered if it had anything to do with the shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, but she had no inkling it would involve Tyler Robinson.

Three doors down, inside the Robinson home, a drama was unfolding.

Tyler Robinson’s father, Matt, came to realize his son was the focus of a desperate manhunt as images of him in a long-sleeve T-shirt and jeans began flashing across television and computer screens nationwide.

The family called their church bishop — also a neighbor — when Robinson threatened to take his own life, according to a law enforcement source who was not authorized to discuss the investigation.

This photo released by the Utah Governor’s Office shows Tyler Robinson.

(Utah Governor’s Office via Associated Press)

Robinson had been close to his parents and two brothers growing up, and would often go on outings camping or hunting, Schwiermann said. According to public records, both of his parents held hunting licenses.

“They’re close, hardworking and smart,” she said.

Robinson attended Riverside Elementary, about a half-mile away from the family home, and where Schwiermann also worked as head custodian.

“He was quiet, but he had friends in school, and he never caused problems,” Schwiermann said.

He had been regularly active in the church when he was a child, but she said he attended less as he grew older.

He graduated from Pine View High School in St. George in 2021, and Schwiermann described him as bright and good with his schoolwork, which helped him earn a scholarship.

His mother, Amber Robinson, wrote on her Facebook page in 2020 about her son’s college aptitude test score, and posted a video of Robinson reading a letter for a scholarship.

Robinson attended Utah State University in 2021, where he majored in engineering, but took leave after one semester.

He later attended Dixie Technical College, where school officials said he was in his third year of study in the electrical apprenticeship program.

There are no signs that Robinson has a criminal record in the state of Utah, based on his name and birth date.

Robinson had registered as nonpartisan in Utah, while both of his parents were registered Republicans, according to registration data reviewed by The Times. His father worked with granite countertops and his mother was a licensed social worker.

A man prays at a makeshift memorial set up at Turning Point USA headquarters in Phoenix after the shooting death of Charlie Kirk.

(Ross D. Franklin / Associated Press)

At a press conference announcing Robinson’s arrest Friday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said a family member told investigators, “Robinson had become more political in recent years,” and expressed dislike for Kirk, who Robinson said was “full of hate” and “spreading hate.”

Investigators are still looking through evidence and trying to determine a motive in the slaying.

Along with a bolt-action rifle that was abandoned in a wooded area, investigators also recovered ammunition that bore various markings, according to authorities.

Engraving on one bullet casing in the rifle read, “Hey fascist! Catch!” according to Cox.

Other casings bore references to memes from online chat rooms, including “notices, bulges, OwO, what’s this?” and “If you read this, you are gay LMAO.” One was etched with lyrics from an Italian antifascism song from World War II

When asked about the motive of the gunman, Cox suggested the “Hey fascist” marking clearly showed the gunman’s intent: “I think that speaks for itself,” he said.

But experts in extremism said it was too early to ascribe a motive, especially based on the markings on ammunition.

“It is increasingly difficult to immediately ascribe motivation as many lone young assailants are often a mix of grievance, mental distress and aggressions picked up in social circles and online,” said Brian Levin, professor emeritus at Cal State San Bernardino and founder of its Center for the Study of Hate.

“Verbiage, memes, targeting, crude humor and cultural references that are immediately available often telegraph motives for violent symbolic attacks, but can also be amorphous or disjointed,” he said.

Joan Donovan, assistant professor of journalism at Boston University and an expert on extremism, said the initial rumors about the bullet casings being marked with Antifa or trans ideology symbols seemed too obvious.

The messages on the casings reminded Donovan of other recent manifestos and mass shooters who used memes, like the 2019 Christchurch, New Zealand, shooter who killed 51 people in a mosque and an Islamic center.

“With memes the message was really about talking to other would be shooters,” Donovan said. “It wasn’t about communicating to the media or communicating even a serious message.”

The engravings on Robinson’s bullet casings come across as a hodgepodge of messages that don’t fit together comfortably, Donovan said. In online misogynistic circles, someone who trades in these types of cynical messages could be described as “black pilled” according to Donovan.

“It’s both impostor and mocking at the same time,” Donovan said. “When we’re talking about ‘black pilled’ youth and those that are just upset with the entire system, it does make sense that you’d have someone engraving bullets with very nihilistic hubris.”

Los Angeles Times staff writers Anita Chabria and Jenny Jarvie contributed to this report.

Nathan Solis, Terry Castleman, Salvador Hernandez, Richard Winton

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September 12, 2025
Jesse Jackson’s half brother freed from life prison sentence

CHICAGO — An 80-year-old half-brother of the Rev. Jesse Jackson who was sentenced to life in prison more than 30 years ago after being convicted of hiring hit men has been released from prison, officials said.

Noah Robinson Jr. was ordered set free last month over the objections of prosecutors by a federal judge who cited Robinson’s age, risks posed in prison by COVID-19 and his deteriorating health, the Chicago Sun-Times reported.

“Robinson was convicted of brutal crimes, but he is 80 years old and has now been in custody for almost 33 years,” U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer wrote. “That is a significant period for the purposes of punishment and general deterrence.”

Robinson was set free under the First Step Act, a bipartisan bill signed into law in 2018 by then-President Donald Trump that is intended to encourage inmates to participate in programs aimed at reducing recidivism, eases mandatory minimum sentence, and gives judges more discretion in sentencing.

Robinson, an Ivy League-educated, wealthy businessman, had been locked up since his arrest in 1989 on charges that he hired hit men from Chicago’s El Rukn street gang to kill a boyhood friend of his, Leroy “Hambone” Barber, after the two got into a fistfight in South Carolina, where they both grew up.

A woman who witnessed the killing was wounded in a later hit that Robinson ordered, and he ordered another hit that wasn’t carried out, prosecutors said. Robinson also was accused of helping El Rukn members connect with East Coast cocaine and heroin suppliers.

According to the order releasing Robinson, he plans to live in Chicago with his daughters, who have promised to take care of his medical and other needs.

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November 12, 2022