Oxford Union president-elect removed after Charlie Kirk posts
Oxford Union entrance on St Michaels. (Mockford & Bonetti/Eye Ubiquitous/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
Oxford Union entrance on St Michaels. (Mockford & Bonetti/Eye Ubiquitous/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)
The president-elect of the Oxford Union debating society has been removed over social media posts he made about the slain Charlie Kirk.
George Abaraonye received 501 votes of confidence, while 1,228 voted to remove him, on Saturday (18 October). He claimed the poll had been “compromised”.
A statement shared on his behalf alleged that the returning officer had “shared around the email account collecting proxy votes” and claims they may have been “tampered with” as a result, Sky News reported.
The outcome follows proceedings being informally suspended on Monday, with the returning officer allegedly being subjected to “obstruction, intimidation and unwarranted hostility by a number of representatives”.
Update regarding the Poll of No Confidence
— Oxford Union (@OxfordUnion) October 21, 2025
The Motion of No Confidence against Mr. Abaraonye has met the required two-thirds threshold and has therefore passed. pic.twitter.com/wM4spnCiKU
However, in another statement, Abaraonye, said: “We equivocally deny that any representative appointed by George engaged in intimating or disruptive behaviour.” He called for the vote of confidence after being accused of celebrating the fatal shooting of right-wing US podcaster Charlie Kirk, whom he met in May, during a debate about toxic masculinity.
Known for his gun rights advocacy as well as his anti-LGBTQ+ views, Kirk was holding one of his Prove Me Wrong debates when he was shot last month.
Abaraonye faced a backlash after writing in a WhatsApp chat with fellow students: “Charlie Kirk got shot, let’s f****** go.” In a separate post on Instagram, he wrote: “Charlie Kirk got shot, loool.”
In a statement posted on X last month, the Oxford Union condemned “reported words and sentiments” expressed by Abaraonye, saying the comments did not represent the current leadership or committee view, and that they “firmly opposed all forms of political violence”.
— Oxford Union (@OxfordUnion) September 11, 2025
The society, which opened disciplinary proceedings against Abaraonye, later wrote on X that while it condemned his remarks, it was “deeply disturbed by” and would continue to “strongly condemn the radical abuse and threats that the president-elect faced in response”.
Our statement released yesterday. pic.twitter.com/BGOl7dMSPu
— Oxford Union (@OxfordUnion) September 13, 2025
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