The president-elect of the Oxford Union, George Abaraonye, will face disciplinary proceedings for making “inappropriate remarks” celebrating the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk, the union has announced. Abaraonye, a student at the University of Oxford, posted comments in a WhatsApp group including “Charlie Kirk got shot, let’s fucking go” and another from his Instagram account reading “Charlie Kirk got shot loool.”
The Oxford Union said on Saturday that Abaraonye had suffered racial abuse and threats since his comments were revealed in the Telegraph. The union reiterated its condemnation of the remarks, stating they were his personal views and not those of the institution. It also strongly condemned the racial abuse and threats he faced, saying “No individual should ever be attacked because of the colour of their skin.”
The union defended free speech but added that it “cannot and will not come at the expense of violence, intimidation, or hate.” It noted that it does not have the power to summarily dismiss a president-elect, but complaints have been forwarded for disciplinary proceedings. Abaraonye said he had “reacted impulsively” and that his comments were “quickly deleted” after news of Kirk’s death emerged, adding “Nobody deserves to be the victim of political violence.”
Valerie Amos, master of University College, Oxford, said on Friday that no disciplinary action would be taken by the college, as Abaraonye’s comments did not contravene its policies on free speech. Kirk and Abaraonye had met during a debate on toxic masculinity in May.
