Overview

• Swedish MEP Charlie Weimers requested a silent tribute for the slain U.S. activist, arguing it would affirm free speech, but the bid was denied before voting began.
• Vice-President Katarina Barley cut off Weimers as he tried to yield his speaking time for silence, prompting desk-banging protests from right-wing benches and applause from centrist and left groups.
• President Roberta Metsola’s office said minutes of silence can only be announced at a plenary’s opening, noting the next opportunity to request one would be in October.
• Conservative and far-right lawmakers accused Parliament of bias and highlighted past tributes such as the 2020 George Floyd silence, while others defended adherence to procedure.
• In the United States, the FBI released images of a person of interest and appealed for tips in the active manhunt after Kirk was shot at Utah Valley University, with a recovered rifle under analysis and no arrests announced.