Oxford Union faces financial ruin after free speech row over Charlie Kirk leaves debating society in ‘utter turmoil’
The Oxford Union is in financial chaos due to major donations being frozen in the wake of the free speech row over Charlie Kirk.
It has been reported that sums of up to £500,000 have been suspended and prominent figures have withdrawn from speaking at the debate community over the president-elect’s controversial comments.
George Abaraonye, 20, who discussed Mr Kirk just months before his death, sparked outrage by posting a WhatsApp message celebrating violence against the US influencer.
In a leaked group chat, Mr Abaraonye said: ‘Charlie Kirk has been shot, let’s go.’
In another message, believed to have come from his Instagram account, he was seen joking on the subject: ‘Charlie Kirk was shot hahaha.’
He later deleted the message after learning of Mr Kirk’s death and admitted he had “behaved badly” without being “aware of the situation”.
But the messages dragged the union into scandal, an official said. Telegram: ‘Honestly it feels like it [the union] He lost his identity. We’re used to arguments, but this was complete mayhem. I worry that if George Abaraonye stays, the union will have no future.
‘How can you have a free speech community where the next president celebrates the death of a free speech activist?’
Sums of up to £500,000 have been frozen and prominent figures have withdrawn from speaking at the debating community over controversial comments by president-elect George Abaraonye, 20.
Mr Abaraonye, who had an argument with Mr Kirk just months before his death, sparked outrage by posting a WhatsApp message celebrating violence against the US influencer seen at the Oxford Union in May 2025.
It was alleged that many speakers said they would withdraw from planned events and donors threatened to withdraw their funds due to the remarks of students of politics, philosophy and economics.
Cancellations include; US right-wing commentator Candace Owens; Zia Yusuf, head of policy at Reform UK; Calvin Klein; Serena Williams and former prime minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern.
Now, in an unusual step, the Oxford University student has triggered a motion of no confidence in him in a bid to regain ‘real accountability’.
A poll was held on Saturday for Oxford Union members to vote on whether to remove him from his role, which begins in January.
Mr Abaraonye hopes that enough people will vote in his favor so that he can continue in office with renewed legitimacy.
A senior Oxford Union source reportedly said they had to emphasize to incoming speakers that the current administration was no longer associated with Mr Abaraonye.
A group calling itself the Concerned Alumni of the Oxford Union had a campaign to get enough people to sign up to have him removed.
Mr Abaraonye will be forced to resign as president-elect if two-thirds of those polled vote against him.
In a leaked WhatsApp group chat, Mr Abaraonye said: ‘Charlie Kirk has been shot, let’s go.’
The Oxford Union is a 200-year-old discussion society for Oxford students and graduates, independent of the university administration.
The University has so far not taken any disciplinary action against Mr. Abaraonye.
An Oxford Union spokesman told The Telegraph: ‘We invite a large number of speakers and many of them are unable to accommodate our invitation for logistical reasons.
‘Every term we encounter a lot of people guessing which speakers will or won’t come.
‘The people responsible for such discussions are the senior members of the ongoing term committee, because they are the ones who know about the planning and booking of speakers.’
