An Oxford student who sparked uproar with his gloating reaction to the Charlie Kirk shooting won his place with just ABB grades – and went on to be voted president of the university’s famous Union.
George Abaraonye, 20, reportedly posted on WhatsApp: ‘Charlie Kirk got shot, let’s f***ing go’ and added a praying hands ‘thanks’ emoji.
Another message, said to be posted by Abaraonye on Instagram, said: ‘Charlie Kirk got shot loool’.
Now the Daily Mail can reveal Abaraonye, a third year Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) student, made it to Oxford without getting the typically required minimum of three A grades at A-level – after being rejected by at least one less highly-regarded university.
But having won his place, Abaraonye has certainly made his mark at Oxford.
As well as being elected as the next president of the renowned Union, a post previously held by the likes of Boris Johnson and Tony Blair, Abaraonye was also events officer of the University’s Arab Society and founded the so called HipHopSoc, where he was known as ‘the headphone guy’.
And he has been lauded by two prominent student magazines.
In The Isis, he was recently billed as ‘icon of the week’ and was also described by student peers as ‘the guy who is everywhere and anywhere’ at Oxford.
Oxford student George Abaraonye, who sparked uproar with his gloating reaction to the Charlie Kirk shooting, won his place at the prestigious university with just ABB grades
George Abaraonye, 20, reportedly posted his message on WhatsApp after the shooting
In The Isis, he was recently billed as ‘icon of the week’ and was also described by student peers as ‘the guy who is everywhere and anywhere’ at Oxford
Abaraonye was also events officer of the University’s Arab Society and founded the so called HipHopSoc, where he was known as ‘the headphone guy’
Abaraonye provoked international condemnation for his reaction to the shooting of MAGA activist Charlie Kirk, who he debated across the Union’s despatch box in May
And Abaraonye was selected as one of the most high profile students at Oxford, appearing at number 5 in this year’s light-hearted ‘Big Name on Campus’ (BNOC) list published annually by Cherwell, the student newspaper.
And he will no doubt move up the listings even further after provoking international condemnation for his reaction to the shooting of MAGA activist Charlie Kirk, who he debated across the Union’s despatch box only a few weeks ago.
That is, if he isn’t forced to resign the prestigious presidency before that.
It is unheard of for an incoming president-elect to be panned by his own Union before even taking up the post, but Abaraonye’s indefensible comments earned him exactly that.
In a statement posted on X on Thursday, the Oxford Union said it ‘unequivocally condemn[ed] the reported words and sentiments’ expressed by Mr Abaraonye, who was elected as the society’s new president in June.
‘His reported views do not represent the Oxford Union’s current leadership or committee’s view.’
It added that its current leadership had ‘no association with, and is entirely independent from’ Mr Abaraonye and shared its condolences with Kirk’s family.
‘We reaffirm our stance that the Oxford Union firmly opposes all forms of political violence and strongly stands by our commitment to free speech and considerate debate.’
For his part, Abaraonye candidly admitted in an interview in The Isis recently that his application to study at Warwick University was turned down, an admission he followed with ‘F*** Warwick’.
He said he hoped that his acceptance at one of Britain’s top universities would show that: ‘Oxford isn’t exactly what you think it is. It’s not all posh, rich, Eton twats drinking wine.’
He certainly found lots of time for extra-curricular activities, also serving as the vice-president of the Oxford African and Caribbean Society, a role which involved him sitting ‘on the Race Equality Task force to engage in conversations on racial diversity with wider university’.
As for being a ‘big name on campus’, he was clearly happy to accept the title bestowed upon him.
Abaraonye shared the news of Charlie Kirk’s shooting on his Instagram page along with the message ‘SCOREBOARD FN WE ARE SO UP RN (right now).’
Charlie Kirk speaks to Abaraonye during a debate on ‘toxic masculinity’ at the Oxford Union
Kirk was struck in the neck by a single bullet while speaking about mass shootings at a university campus in Utah. He is pictured at the event on Wednesday before his death
Abaraonye told Isis: ‘But did I come here looking for the BNOC-ery? Absolutely not…But, you know, sometimes the BNOC-ery just chooses you.’
The Isis also wrote how Abaraonye had ‘encouraged the creation of forums for the expression of Black identity in Britain’ and had worked ‘to make the social life here slightly more accessible to those outside the very particular bubble of accents that frequent the student nights of this town’.
He told the magazine that neither of his parents, Casey and Peri, had attended university in Britain, and that he had qualified for free school meals at his state school.
That school was Chelsea Academy, where he made his mark in public speaking from an early age, including appearing at a meeting of Hammersmith and Fulham Council aged just 14 in 2019.
He argued for segregated cycling lanes after he said he was ‘nearly killed’ when hit by a car, turning across his path. He said he needed stitches to a cut above his eye and suffered a bruised shoulder.
George, whose father Casey, 58, is a coordinator of Hammersmith and Fulham Cyclists, and owns a bicycle shop, added: ‘It’s my opinion that segregated cycle lanes will mean I won’t have to always look over my shoulder and worry about whether a driver has lost concentration.’
At school, according to his LinkedIn profile, he was involved with The Brilliant Club, a nationwide charity which works with students from the most disadvantaged backgrounds.
Among other aims, it ‘brings together schools and colleges together with universities to support students who are most likely to face barriers during the transition to higher education’.
Perhaps this allowed him some leeway with A-level grades of ABB, as mentioned on his LinkedIn profile, when according to the University’s website the minimum grades for the course are three As.
Abaraonye candidly admitted in an interview in The Isis student magazine that his application to study at Warwick University (pictured) was turned down, an admission he followed with ‘F*** Warwick’
He won a place on the particularly prestigious PPE course, which was once described by The Guardian as ‘The Oxford degree that runs Britain’ because of the number of senior politicians who have studied the course there.
Former PPE graduates from Oxford University include former Prime Ministers Rishi Sunak, David Cameron, Edward Heath, Harold Wilson and Liz Truss.
Former education secretary Ed Balls and Health secretary Matt Hancock also studied the course, as well as former Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.
Non-politicians who were PPE graduates include Today presenter Nick Robinson, DJ Paul Gambaccini, and former BBC director-general Tony Hall.
One commenter on X this week said: ‘Perhaps Oxford University could also explain how an obvious DEI [Diversity Equality and Inclusion] student was accepted on A,B,B grades but students with straight A’s were rejected….?’
Both Oxford and Cambridge do look more favourably on applications from state schools.
Labour life peer Baroness Amos, a key member of Tony Blair’s government and the first person of colour to lead an Oxbridge college, has spoken widely on her view that Oxbridge should be vital institutions for fostering equality and representation.
She said when her appointment was announced that she was very interested in ‘equalities and inclusion’ and keen to demonstrate that academic excellence can go ‘hand in hand’ with diversity.
‘Univ [University College] has been a pioneer in this area,’ she said. ‘In the past, young men from the north were supported to come here. It has been very much at the centre of the drive to increase diversity.’
After his reaction went viral Abaraonye issued an apology, telling The Times that he had ‘reacted impulsively’ and made comments that he quickly deleted. Abaraonye said: ‘Those words did not reflect my values. To be clear: nobody deserves to be the victim of political violence.
‘Nobody should be harmed or killed for the views they hold.
‘I may have disagreed strongly with Mr Kirk’s politics, but in death we all deserve respect, and I extend my condolences to his family and loved ones.
Labour life peer Baroness Amos, a key member of Tony Blair’s government and the first person of colour to lead an Oxbridge college, has spoken widely on her view Oxbridge should foster equality and representation
‘At the same time, my reaction was shaped by the context of Mr Kirk’s own rhetoric – words that often dismissed or mocked the suffering of others.
‘He described the deaths of American children from school shootings as an acceptable “cost” of protecting gun rights.
‘He justified the killing of civilians in Gaza, including women and children, by blaming them collectively for Hamas.
‘He called for the retraction of the Civil Rights Act, and repeatedly spread harmful stereotypes about LGBTQ and trans communities.
‘These were horrific and dehumanising statements.’
