A gesture of compassion from Coldplay's lead singer, Chris Martin, during Friday night's performance at Wembley Stadium has ignited fierce debate amongst the band's supporters.
Mr Martin's decision to honour the bereaved family of Charlie Kirk, the American conservative figure killed in a political assassination this week, has left concert-goers and music fans sharply split.
The 48-year-old musician's tribute during the Music of the Spheres tour stop drew immediate reactions, with some concert-goers expressing dismay, whilst others praised the humanitarian sentiment.
The moment in question occurred when Mr Martin asked the audience to raise their hands before the band performed their 2005 hit Fix You, encouraging them to "send love anywhere you wanna send it in the world."
"There are so many places that might need it today," the frontman told the crowd.
He specifically mentioned Mr Kirk's family amongst those deserving compassion, stating: "You can send this to your brother or your sister, you can send it to the families of people who have been going through terrible stuff, you can send it to Charlie Kirk's family, you can send it to anybody's family."
Mr Martin continued: "You can send it to people you disagree with, but you send them love anyway... You can send it to peaceful people in the Middle East, in Ukraine and Russia."
Mr Martin soon found himself on the receiving end of angered reactions from certain gig-goers.
Chris Martin made the comments during Friday's Wembley gig
|GETTY
"Chris Martin, why would I 'send love to Charlie Kirk’s family'? F*** off," one concert attendee penned on X on Friday evening.
"I booed, that was insane," a fellow gig-goer wrote in response as they too criticised Mr Martin. "The fact that’s the only name he mentioned as well."
Elsewhere, a third hit out at the singer: "Also, Chris Martin saying send prayers to Charlie Kirk’s family. I knew he was f***ing weird."
However, the reception to Mr Martin's tribute to Mr Kirk wasn't solely met by uproar, with others lauding the Yellow hitmaker for his kind words, no matter their political differences.
LATEST CHARLIE KIRK NEWS:
Charlie Kirk was speaking at a campus event in Utah when he was killed | REUTERSReplying to a Metro article about Mr Martin's comments, one fan praised the band while taking aim at the criticism. "What happened to humanity FFS! Well done Coldplay," the X user said.
A second echoed in the thread: "Hate a guy as much as you want, disagree with his beliefs or his message or whatever. Having no empathy for his wife and children when he is killed is wild behaviour."
Elsewhere, a third also applauded the musician: "@Coldplay Millions of people appreciate the fact that Chris Martin paid tribute to #CharlieKirk. That makes Coldplay human - people who cannot understand this have hate in their hearts. Bless you." (sic)
The debate emerged just a few days after the 31-year-old conservative activist was fatally shot while speaking at Utah Valley University, killed mid-sentence as he responded to an audience question about gun violence in America.
Charlie Kirk at the Utah rally hours before he was assassinated | GETTYMr Kirk served as chief executive and co-founder of Turning Point USA, a right-leaning youth organisation, and maintained close ties with Republican President Donald Trump.
Following the killing, President Trump released a video statement expressing being "filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk."
The president declared the incident represented "a dark moment for America" and pledged action against "political violence."
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also commented, stating: "It is heartbreaking that a young family has been robbed of a father and a husband."
Chris Martin and Coldplay finished the Wembley leg of their tour on Friday
| GETTYAuthorities arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the suspected gunman, with reports suggesting his father assisted in his capture.
On Friday evening, around the same time as Coldplay's gig, Mr Kirk's widow Erika addressed those responsible for her husband's death, vowing: "I will never let your legacy die, baby."
She warned the "evildoers" that "the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry."
Memorial services for Mr Kirk have drawn hundreds of mourners across multiple cities, including London.
WATCH HERE: Charlie Kirk's wife says his movement 'will not die' in defiant message
Despite the backlash, Coldplay's world tour continues with sold-out venues, though Friday's controversial moment has become one of the most discussed incidents of their current performances.
Mr Martin found himself in the news earlier this tour when he greeted two Israeli girls on stage.
The Coldplay singer was accused of being "condescending" to the two fans after clarifying he saw them as "equal" humans.
He also made a point of reaching out to any Palestinian fans who may have been in attendance at the Wembley Stadium gig.