Cleveland Fire Chief Anthony Luke removed from duty after posting cartoon criticizing Charlie Kirk

CLEVELAND, OHIO: Cleveland Fire Chief Anthony Luke has been placed on paid leave after he shared a post on Facebook criticizing Charlie Kirk and Republicans.

On September 16, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Luke had been removed from duty for a post criticizing Kirk, calling it "insensitive" and "incendiary." 

Controversial cartoon quoting Charlie Kirk’s statement sparks backlash

The cartoon video, posted on September 12 and removed on September 15, originated from a Facebook page called Slyngstad Cartoons.

The cartoon depicts an elephant in a white robe standing beside a massive golden rifle placed on an altar, where seven people lie dead on the stairs leading to it. The elephant, addressing the crowd, yells, “Bring out the next sacrifice.”

Above the cartoon is a quote: “I think it’s worth it to have a cost of, unfortunately, a few gun deaths every single year so that we can have the 2nd amendment,” which Kirk made in 2023 and which has been widely used to criticize him since his death.

An investigation has been launched against Luke, who will remain on paid administrative leave until it is complete.

City officials are also reviewing two similar posts by an EMS worker and a firefighter. It is unknown how long the reviews will take.    

Mayor Bibb condemns the post as 'insensitive' and 'incendiary'

Reacting to the post, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb took to X (formerly Twitter) to announce Luke’s leave and the investigation.

Bibb said the post glorified gun violence, which is especially troubling in a city where such cases are common and many lives have been lost.

He emphasized that, although free speech protects all opinions, including unpopular ones, public officials have a greater responsibility.

“A public safety leader is not just another citizen: they are a standard-bearer for what the City of Cleveland stands for, what we teach our children, and how our neighbors should expect to be treated — and protected,” he said.

He concluded by describing Luke’s statement as “insensitive” and “incendiary,” which went against the values of compassion, unity, and safety.    

Professional repercussions over posts criticising Charlie Kirk

Charlie Kirk was shot dead while speaking at Utah Valley University (Getty Images, @KylieJaneKremer/X)

Since Kirk’s death, politically polarized posts on social media have increased, with liberals criticizing Kirk while conservatives blamed liberals for his killing.

These debates have often fueled political violence in the US and have even led to professional repercussions over remarks about Kirk, who was shot dead while speaking at Utah Valley University.

Those affected include a political commentator, a university staffer, a sports reporter, and a US Secret Service agent.

Nasdaq posted on X that it had fired an employee over a social media post about Kirk’s death, calling it a clear violation of company policy. The post emphasized the company’s zero-tolerance stance on violence and such comments.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.