Oxford Union Future Leader Removed Following Charlie Kirk Comments
The president-elect of the Oxford Union has been removed from his position after losing a no-confidence vote that came after his controversial social media posts about the conservative activist.
The motion against George Abaraonye reached the required super-majority to oust him from his position, according to an announcement from the organization.
Contentious Posts
The controversy erupted after the student reportedly shared messages on online platforms that appeared to celebrate the death of the American conservative figure, who was fatally shot while speaking at a university in the United States.
According to reports, one social media message reportedly stated "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an elongated version of the phrase 'lol'.
The student leader is also reported to have written in a WhatsApp chat with other members seeming to express approval of the event.
Vote Outcome
The vote of confidence was conducted over the recent days, with results revealed on this week.
Society announcements indicated that over twelve hundred votes were cast in favor of removal, while just over five hundred were opposed the motion.
The announcement confirmed that the future president was considered to have resigned in following the society's regulations.
Election Controversies
Proceedings were informally suspended early on the previous day after the returning officer was allegedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from several representatives.
In a statement, Mr Abaraonye asserted that the vote tally had been stopped because electoral officials believed "no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of procedural failures".
His statement unequivocally denied that any representative acting for George had participated in intimidating or disruptive behavior.
Ongoing Dispute
The student maintained that extremely serious issues had been referred to the disciplinary committee and that he remained the elected leader.
His statement added that George was "grateful and honored to have the backing of well in excess of a majority of university members" who supported a "safe election and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".
Opponents have argued that any decision to keep him would "demonstrate internationally that the society has prioritized politics over principles".
External Responses
On recently, Mikey McCoy read out an open letter to the society on The Charlie Kirk Show broadcast.
The message accused the society of becoming a institution where "presidents of the union openly applaud the assassination of a ideological rival".
The statement warned that if the student were to keep his position, supporters would "directly reach out to every U.S. political figure who has ever spoken at the society and advise them against future participation".
The Oxford Union had earlier condemned Mr Abaraonye's remarks after the activist's killing and stated that complaints filed against him had been forwarded for disciplinary proceedings.
The student leader had been one of multiple members to debate with the activist at the society in spring.