Harry Potter and Call the Midwife star Miriam Margolyes has come under fire for her response to the death of American political activist Charlie Kirk.

In doing so, the 84-year-old attempted to raise awareness of a wider issue with political violence, using the recent Operation Raise the Colours as an example in her tirade.

Mr Kirk was killed following a single gunshot to the neck while he was speaking at an event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday.

A 22-year-old suspect, Tyler Robinson, has been arrested after his father turned him in to local law enforcement.

Tributes from far and wide flooded in for Mr Kirk, with President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer among those paying their respects to the 31-year-old.

However, Mr Kirk's death has also been met with shameful celebratory reactions from his critics. Punk duo Bob Vylan are the latest to be slammed for their "vile" onstage outburst about Mr Kirk during a recent gig.

Yesterday, Ms Margolyes decided it was her turn to weigh in on the discussion surrounding Mr Kirk's assassination and the subsequent discourse that has taken place.

Via her Facebook page and reposted by an X page dedicated to Ms Margolyes updates, the actress penned: "I mourn Mr Kirk’s death, though I loathed what he stood for.

Miriam Margolyes has caused controversy with her latest remarks

"But the raising of his death and the ignoring of other political assassinations show the state of the States.

"Kirk’s assassination followed numerous recent instances of political violence.

"In 2025 alone, Minnesota Democratic state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were fatally shot; an arsonist set fire to the Pennsylvania governor’s residence with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and his family inside; an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer was shot and injured outside a detention facility in Texas; the New Mexico Republican Party headquarters was set on fire; and a shooter attacked the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters.

"Make no mistake; the forces of violence are stalking the world," she continued before she turned her attention to the UK.

Miriam Margolyes first made the comments via a Facebook page

Taking aim at Operation Raise the Colours, Ms Margolyes wrote: "And when you see flags, Union Jacks & The cross of St. George pinned to lamp posts and church towers, you are looking at swastikas.

"Genocide goes unpunished, and the Jewish festivals are soon to be celebrated. I have lost my faith," she added, referring to the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. (sic)

Following the post that was shared on Saturday, Ms Margolyes has continued to comment on Mr Kirk's death. In a separate post on Sunday, the actress endorsed a post by a page titled US Democratic Socialists.

Their post read: "Sorry - the killing of Charlie Kirk was wrong...

Charlie Kirk was speaking at a campus event in Utah when he was killed | REUTERS

"But having his body flown on Air Force 2, flags at half-mast, having him lie in state, putting a statue of him in the Capitol, and giving him a Presidential Medal of Freedom are all entirely inappropriate."

Ms Margolyes's social media posts quickly garnered the attention of fellow X and Facebook users, many of whom slammed her opinions on Mr Kirk's killing and the symbolism of the flags mentioned.

"I feel like I need to scrub my phone with bleach. You are comparing our flag with the swastika," one X user said in disbelief.

A second asked: "How can you get this so wrong? The flags on lampposts (of which there are many where I live) are symbols of unity. People looking for a community and commonality which institutions and others have undermined."

Miriam on #CharlieKirk. pic.twitter.com/tq1KWLvSiH

— Miriam Margolyes OBE (@MMargolyes) September 13, 2025

"Union Jacks are swastikas? Wow," a third added in shock before a fourth fumed: "I have lost my faith as well in you @MMargolyes. How dare you compare our flags to something as vile as a swastika! Shame on you."

"What an absolutely vile thing to say," a fifth echoed before a sixth concurred: "I remember when she used to be funny and relevant, those days have certainly gone!"

However, Ms Margolyes was still on the receiving end of some support, albeit limited. "It’s not the flags themselves," one fan attempted to argue. "It’s the intentions of the people hanging them. I would be flying the flags myself if they weren’t associated with racist hate."

And a second similarly tried to clarify: "She is comparing the idea of undying loyalty to the flag rather than the people to be comparable to that of the Nazis. Which it is..." (sic)