George Abaraonye, Oxford Union president-elect is set to face disciplinary proceedings for alleged remarks that celebrated the fatal shooting of conservative activist, Charlie Kirk.
Abaraonye, a politics, philosophy, and economics student at Oxford University, has been facing scrutiny for allegedly posting inflammatory messages online following the assassination of Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA and a close ally of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Pan-Atlantic Kompass reports that Kirk was shot in the neck during a speech at Utah Valley University on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, in what authorities described as a politically motivated attack.
Reacting to the incident, the Oxford Union president-elect posted several comments in a WhatsApp group appearing to celebrate what happened.
This included one saying: “Charlie Kirk got shot, let’s fucking go.” Another message, purportedly sent from Abaraonye’s Instagram account, read: “Charlie Kirk got shot loool.”
However, the Oxford Union issued a statement on social media Saturday condemning the president-elect’s “inappropriate remarks.”
While emphasizing its commitment to free expression, the society clarified that it lacks the authority to dismiss Abaraonye outright.
The union added: “We emphasise that these are his personal views and not those of the Union, nor do they represent the values of our institution.
“At the same time, we are deeply disturbed by and strongly condemn the racial abuse and threats that George has faced in response. No individual should ever be attacked because of the colour of their skin or the community they come from. Threats to his life are abhorrent. Such rhetoric has no place online, or anywhere in society.”
The statement went on to defend the right to free speech and freedom of expression, but added that free speech “cannot and will not come at the expense of violence, intimidation, or hate”.
“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.”
In a counter-reaction, the Oxford Union President-elect said he had “reacted impulsively” to the news of Kirk’s shooting and that the comments were “quickly deleted” after news emerged of his death.
Abaraonye continued: “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.”
