Oxford Union President-Elect Ousted Over Charlie Kirk Messages

George Abaraonye, the Oxford Union president-elect, was removed after a no-confidence motion passed by more than the required two-thirds, with reports citing a 1,228 to 501 vote. The removal follows leaked Instagram and WhatsApp messages that appeared to celebrate the assassination of US commentator Charlie Kirk; Abaraonye says he submitted the motion himself and is contesting the result, alleging procedural failures including unsupervised access to the email collecting proxy ballots. He has removed the posts and apologized, saying he “reacted impulsively.” The Union condemned the remarks, high-profile speakers withdrew and donors froze funds reportedly totaling up to £500,000, leaving the society in a financial and reputational crisis. Current president Moosa Harraj says he has been targeted by anonymous abuse invoking racist tropes and calls a retaliatory no-confidence effort “a calculated act of political retaliation.” Kirk’s allies have warned they will pressure future speakers not to appear if Abaraonye remains influential, and the dispute now centers on both the substance of his comments and contested internal voting procedures.