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The Oxford Union Society, the renowned debating society based in Oxford, condemned its incoming leader for celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
George Abaraonye, who became Oxford Union’s president-elect in June, made gleeful comments about Kirk being shot on the encrypted text-messaging platform WhatsApp, according to The Telegraph.
In a group chat, Abaraonye allegedly wrote, “Charlie Kirk got shot, let’s f—ing go,” accompanied by a prayer emoji.
Abaraonye reportedly made a similar comment on his Instagram account, writing “Charlie Kirk got shot loool,” “loool” exaggeratedly written as “laugh out loud.”
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The current leadership at Oxford Union moved to distance itself from Abaraonye.
“The Oxford Union would like to unequivocally condemn the reported words and sentiments expressed by the President-Elect, George Abaraonye, with regards to the passing of Charlie Kirk,” Oxford Union wrote in a statement released Thursday.
“His reported views do not represent the Oxford Union’s current leadership or committee’s view. The current administration has, under President Moosa Harraj, no association with, and is entirely independent from, Mr. Abaraonye’s administration.”
The statement also affirmed that the Oxford Union “firmly opposes all forms of political violence” and “strongly stands by our commitment to free speech and considerate debate” and offered condolences to Kirk’s family.
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On social media, there have been calls for Abaraonye’s removal as president-elect and for his expulsion from Oxford University.
British commentator David Vance told the Oxford Union, “your fine words don’t mean a damn if George Abaraonye becomes president.”
Former UK Prime Minister Liz Truss wrote: “The Chancellor of @UniofOxford, @WilliamJHague should show some mettle and expel George Abaraonye from Oxford University. He has brought shame on Oxford and shame on Britain.”
Adrian Hilton, a philosophy lecturer and honorary research fellow at the University of Buckingham, said, “I don’t think the President-Elect, George Abaraonye, is fit to become President of the @OxfordUnion: he brings the Society into disrepute.
“I hope the other Officers will consider that he will be responsible for inviting high-profile speakers, while rejoicing in the murder of those with whom he disagrees. He has manifestly brought the Society into disrepute.”
James Price, a former Oxford Union president, announced he had resigned as the honorary secretary of Oxford Literary Debating & Union Trust, the Oxford Union’s charity arm.
“The callousness of the Union’s President-Elect has shocked me, but I also can’t accept the lack of intervention on the issue,” Price wrote while sharing a lengthy resignation letter.
Abaraonye went face-to-face with Kirk at a debate hosted by Oxford Union in May, engaging in a tense exchange on the subject of “toxic masculinity.”
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Past comments made by Abaraonye have gone viral, increasing scrutiny over whether he is fit to serve as Oxford Union’s next president.
“At times, there is simply nothing else that can be required except for violent retaliation. And this is a view I wholeheartedly agree with; the view that some institutions are too broken, too oppressive to be reformed, like cancers of our society. And they must, and they should be taken by any means necessary,” Abaraonye said, which Price cited in his resignation letter.
Oxford Union and Oxford University did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Kirk, the prominent conservative activist and co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot at a campus event Wednesday at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. He was 31 years old.
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