The Oxford Union is facing a wave of cancellations and internal resignations after its president-elect, George Abaraonye, posted messages celebrating the reported shooting of American conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Several scheduled guests said they would no longer appear, and a trustee of the charity that owns the Union's buildings resigned in protest after screenshots of messages attributed to Abaraonye circulated on social media. The Union issued a statement condemning the "reported words and sentiments expressed by the president-elect," while the University of Oxford said it "deplored" the comments.
Screenshots show messages that read, in part, "Charlie Kirk got shot, let's f***ing go," and, on Instagram, "Charlie Kirk got shot loool." The messages were widely shared online and prompted immediate backlash from current and former members of the debating society and the wider public.
Two scheduled speakers publicly withdrew following the revelations. Josh Wolfe, co-founder of venture capital firm Lux Capital, said he would cancel his appearance. Liora Rez, executive director of the American campaign group StopAntisemitism, also announced she would not attend an event. In addition, the honorary secretary of the Oxford Literary Debating & Union Trust — the charity that owns the Union's buildings — resigned, citing the president-elect's reported remarks.
Abaraonye, 20, who is due to take over as the Union's Michaelmas term president, issued a statement to student media saying he had "reacted impulsively" and extended his condolences to Kirk's family. He added, "To be clear, nobody deserves to be the victim of political violence." The Union said it would "unequivocally condemn" the reported comments and that they did not reflect the society's values.
Abaraonye came to wider attention after debating Kirk at the Union in May. He is a student reading Politics, Philosophy and Economics and has been active in a number of student societies at Oxford. University records show he attended a state school in west London and has described himself as the first in his family to go to university.
The Oxford Union is an independent, student-run debating society with a long history of attracting prominent public figures. Its presidency is elected by the Union's membership and carries significant prestige within and beyond the university. The controversy has raised questions about upcoming Union programming; several events scheduled for the new academic year have been placed in doubt as organisers assess the fallout and invited speakers consider their participation.
The university welcomed the Union's statement condemning the posts and said it was monitoring the situation. Calls for Abaraonye to resign have grown on social media and among some student groups, while others have urged measured consideration of disciplinary steps given the Union's status as an independent student society. The trustees' resignation and the withdrawal of speakers add to pressure on the Union's governing body to set out what actions it will take.
The episode comes as universities and student organisations around the world face scrutiny over online speech and the behaviour of student leaders. The Union's statement and the university's response make clear both institutions are seeking to distance themselves from the reported remarks while investigations and internal discussions continue. The Union has not indicated any immediate disciplinary measures beyond its public condemnation, and Abaraonye remains president-elect pending any internal review or membership action.