Activists in London stage mass 'die-in' after murder of trans TikToker Brianna Ghey

Trans activists staged a "die-in" outside the Department for Education in London Wednesday following the murder of a 16-year-old trans-identified male in a park in Cheshire on Feb 11.

Two 15-year-olds have been charged with murder after Brianna Ghey was found with fatal stab wounds in Culcheth Linear Park on Saturday afternoon, according to The Guardian. Cheshire Police said at the time that there was no evidence the murder was motivated by hate, but that hasn’t stopped trans activists from declaring it to be the result of transphobia.

"A 15-year-old girl from Warrington and a 15-year-old boy from Leigh have today, Wednesday 15 February 2023, been charged with murder following the death of 16-year-old Brianna Ghey," said Cheshire Police in a press statement.

In a previous statement, Cheshire Police had assured the public that all lines of enquiry were being explored, "including whether this was a hate crime," and asked that the public please "continue to avoid speculation online and be wary of sharing misinformation relating to this case."

Ghey’s family released a tribute calling their child a "much-loved daughter, granddaughter, and baby sister," reports The Guardian.

"She was a larger-than-life character who would leave a lasting impression on all that met her. Brianna was beautiful, witty and hilarious. Brianna was strong, fearless and one of a kind. The loss of her young life has left a massive hole in our family, and we know that the teachers and her friends who were involved in her life will feel the same," said the family.

Ghey was something of a TikTok celebrity, with a following of around 31,000. Ghey's account has since been deactivated.

Trans activists organized vigils across the UK with large crowds of mourners gathering, holding Pride flags, signs, and candles to pay tribute to the teenager. 

At the vigil outside the Department for Education, the crowd chanted "Protect Trans Youth," and “When trans rights are under attack, what do you do? Stand up, fight back."

At the end of the vigil came the "die-in," where everyone laid down on the ground chanting, "How many of our corpses does it take for you to care?" reports Sky News.

James Lindsay took to Twitter to compare the activists using this tragic death of a teenager with the Black Lives Matter response to the death of George Floyd. 

"Operation Trans Floyd is in progress," Lindsay wrote. In a follow up tweet, he added, "I won't show deferential and weaponized empathic respect to a tragedy turned into a prop for a Neo-Communist mass line of action, and I don't think you should either. You should hold the activists using this story this way in contempt."

"I don't feel bad about being insensitive to a Neo-Communist mass line. You shouldn't either," Lindsay wrote.

According to Sky News, the two 15-year-olds appeared in Liverpool Crown Court via video link Wednesday but spoke only to confirm their names. A provisional trial date was set for July 10 with the trial expected to last approximately three weeks.

Some activists have blamed the popular Harry Potter books series author JK Rowling for Ghey's death.