The Oxford Union has announced “disciplinary proceedings” against their president-elect after he celebrated the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
The Telegraph obtained Whatsapp messages from the Union’s president-elect George Abaraonye in which he wrote: “Charlie Kirk got shot, let’s fucking go.”
He wrote in another message: “Charlie Kirk got shot loool.”
Amid growing pressure for his expulsion from the university, the Union said that it did not have the powers to dismiss Abaraonye, but that his remarks were being treated with the “utmost seriousness”:
The Oxford Union does not possess executive powers to summarily dismiss a president-elect. However, the complaints filed against the president-elect have been forwarded for disciplinary proceedings and will be addressed with the utmost seriousness.
Our duty is to demonstrate to our members, the university community, alumni, and the wider public, that disagreement must be expressed through debate and dialogue, not through abuse or threats. That is the tradition we uphold, and it is the standard we will continue to set.
Our statement released yesterday. pic.twitter.com/BGOl7dMSPu
— Oxford Union (@OxfordUnion) September 13, 2025
Abaraonye has since apolgoized for his remarks, saying they were not a reflection of his personal values:
Those words did not reflect my values. Nobody deserves to be the victim of political violence … I extend my condolences to his family and loved ones.
At the same time, my reaction was shaped by the context of Mr Kirk’s own rhetoric – words that often dismissed or mocked the suffering of others.
He described the deaths of American children from school shootings as an acceptable ‘cost’ of protecting gun rights.
He justified the killing of civilians in Gaza, including women and children, by blaming them collectively for Hamas. He called for the retraction of the Civil Rights Act, and repeatedly spread harmful stereotypes about LGBTQ and trans communities.
These were horrific and dehumanising statements.
Since the scandal has unfolded, it has emerged that Abaraonye did not get school grades typically required to gain a place at Oxford University.
This means he is almost certainly the beneficiary of a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) scheme intended to get more ethinic minorities into the prestigious institution.
George Abaraonye received the grades ABB but somehow got in the University of Oxford. Usually people who receive those grades are the first to be rejected.
He’s literally a DEI student. https://t.co/qruAsxECpc pic.twitter.com/DlrZ0yKU8t
— Chris Rose (@ArchRose90) September 11, 2025
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