Office Depot has apologized and fired employees at a Michigan store after they refused to print a memorial poster of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was shot and killed this week during an event at Utah Valley University, the New York Post reported on Friday. The poster was reportedly intended for a vigil honoring Kirk scheduled for that evening.
In a video that went viral on social media, a customer is seen asking staff to print the poster, only to be told by a supervisor that it constituted “political propaganda.”
1 View gallery
Employees at an Office Depot store in Michigan are seen in a video that circulated on social media, in which staff refused to print a memorial poster of slain activist Charlie Kirk, calling it 'political propaganda'
(Photo: Screengrab)
“Yes, it’s propaganda. Sorry, we don’t print that here,” the employee, who identified herself as a manager, says in the clip. When pressed, she added, “It’s a political figure. Our manager will be here on Monday. If you want, you can come back and speak with him about it.”
The confrontation sparked sharp criticism online. Some social media users accused the workers of bringing personal views into the workplace and called for a boycott of the chain. A Republican Party official also denounced the incident as an act of censorship.
Office Depot later issued a formal apology. “We are deeply concerned about this incident,” the company said in a statement. “The behavior of the employees was unacceptable, violated company policy and does not reflect Office Depot’s values. We contacted the customer to ensure he would receive service at one of our branches, and we conducted an internal review that resulted in the termination of those involved.”
Kirk, 31, a pro-Israel activist and co-founder of the conservative group Turning Point USA, was fatally shot Wednesday in what police described as a targeted attack.