Oxford Union Future Leader Ousted Due to Charlie Kirk Comments
The president-elect of the prestigious debating society has been ousted from office after losing a vote of confidence that came after his disputed online comments about the conservative activist.
The vote against George Abaraonye achieved the necessary two-thirds threshold to remove him from office, according to an statement from the organization.
Contentious Posts
The controversy began after the student reportedly posted messages on online platforms that seemed to welcome the killing of Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead while addressing a college in the United States.
According to sources, one social media message reportedly read "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an extended form of the acronym for 'laughing out loud'.
The student leader is also said to have written in a messaging group with other members appearing to welcome the incident.
Election Results
The no-confidence motion was conducted over the recent days, with outcomes announced on this week.
Official notices indicated that 1,228 ballots were cast supporting removal, while 501 were opposed the motion.
The announcement stated that the future president was considered to have resigned in following the society's regulations.
Procedural Disputes
Proceedings were informally suspended early on Monday after the election official was allegedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from multiple individuals.
In a response, Mr Abaraonye claimed that the vote tally had been halted because election administrators believed "no valid outcome could be reached as a result of procedural failures".
His statement unequivocally denied that any person acting for the student had participated in intimidating or disruptive behavior.
Ongoing Dispute
The president-elect stated that extremely serious issues had been referred to the governing body and that he continued as the elected leader.
His comment added that George was "proud and thankful to have the support of significantly more than half of university members" who voted to have a "secure voting process and resist attempts to subvert democracy".
Critics have said that any decision to keep him would "signal to the world that the Oxford Union has chosen ideology over integrity".
External Reactions
On Friday, Mikey McCoy presented an public message to the Oxford Union on The Charlie Kirk Show podcast.
The message criticized the society of becoming a institution where "presidents of the union publicly celebrate the assassination of a ideological rival".
The statement warned that if Mr Abaraonye were to keep his position, supporters would "personally contact every U.S. political figure who has ever graced the union's chamber and advise them against future participation".
The society had previously condemned the student's remarks after Kirk's death and confirmed that complaints filed against him had been referred for official review.
The student leader had been one of multiple members to debate with Kirk at the union in May.