Student Society Future Leader Removed Following Charlie Kirk Posts

Oxford Union debate
The activist and student leader participated in a discussion at the Oxford Union in May

The president-elect of the Oxford Union has been ousted from office after failing a no-confidence vote that came after his disputed social media posts about the conservative activist.

The motion against George Abaraonye achieved the required two-thirds threshold to oust him from his position, according to an announcement from the society.

Disputed Comments

The controversy began after the student reportedly shared messages on social media that appeared to welcome the death of the American conservative figure, who was fatally shot while speaking at a college in the United States.

According to reports, one social media message reportedly stated "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an elongated version of the acronym for 'laughing out loud'.

The president-elect is also reported to have posted in a messaging group with fellow students seeming to express approval of the event.

Election Results

The no-confidence motion was conducted over the recent days, with outcomes announced on Tuesday.

Official notices showed that 1,228 ballots were cast supporting removal, while just over five hundred were opposed the motion.

The announcement stated that the future president was considered to have stepped down in accordance with the Oxford Union's rules.

Society notice
The student society shared the result of the no-confidence vote on Tuesday morning

Procedural Disputes

Voting operations were informally suspended early on Monday after the returning officer was reportedly subjected to "interference, threats, and inappropriate behavior" from several representatives.

In a statement, Mr Abaraonye asserted that the vote tally had been stopped because election administrators believed "no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of procedural failures".

His statement categorically refuted that any representative acting for the student had participated in threatening or obstructive conduct.

Continuing Controversy

The student maintained that significant concerns had been submitted to the governing body and that he continued as the elected leader.

His comment added that George was "grateful and honored to have the backing of significantly more than half of university members" who voted to have a "secure voting process and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".

Critics have argued that any failure to remove him would "signal to the world that the society has prioritized politics over principles".

Conservative activist
Charlie Kirk was shot dead while addressing a college in September

External Responses

On Friday, Kirk's former chief of staff read out an open letter to the Oxford Union on The Charlie Kirk Show podcast.

The message criticized the society of becoming a place where "presidents of the union openly applaud the killing of a political opponent".

The statement warned that if the student were to remain in post, Kirk's allies would "personally contact every U.S. political figure who has ever graced the union's chamber and advise them against future participation".

The Oxford Union had earlier criticized Mr Abaraonye's comments after Kirk's death and stated that concerns filed against him had been referred for official review.

The president-elect had been one of multiple members to debate with Kirk at the union in spring.

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