Oxford Union President-Elect Ousted Following Charlie Kirk Posts
The future president of the Oxford Union has been ousted from office after failing a vote of confidence that came after his disputed online comments about Charlie Kirk.
The motion against George Abaraonye reached the necessary two-thirds threshold to oust him from his position, according to an announcement from the organization.
Contentious Posts
The controversy began after the student reportedly posted messages on online platforms that seemed to celebrate the death of the American conservative figure, 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 phrase 'lol'.
The student leader is also said to have posted in a messaging group with fellow students appearing to welcome the incident.
Vote Outcome
The vote of confidence was conducted over the weekend, with results announced on Tuesday.
Society announcements showed that over twelve hundred votes were cast supporting removal, while 501 were opposed the motion.
The announcement stated that the president-elect was considered to have resigned in following the society's regulations.
Election Controversies
Voting operations were temporarily halted early on Monday after the returning officer was reportedly 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 person appointed by George had participated in threatening or obstructive conduct.
Continuing Controversy
The president-elect stated that extremely serious issues had been submitted to the governing body and that he remained president-elect.
His comment added that he was "proud and thankful to have the support of significantly more than half of students at Oxford" who voted to have a "secure voting process and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".
Critics have said that any decision to keep him would "signal to the world that the society has chosen ideology over integrity".
External Reactions
On Friday, Kirk's former chief of staff presented an public message to the Oxford Union on The Charlie Kirk Show podcast.
The message criticized the society of becoming a place where "presidents of the union publicly celebrate the assassination of a political opponent".
The statement warned that if the student were to keep his position, supporters would "directly reach out to every American political speaker who has ever graced the union's chamber and urge them never again to lend their name".
The society had previously criticized Mr Abaraonye's comments after Kirk's death and confirmed that complaints filed against him had been forwarded for disciplinary proceedings.
The student leader had been one of several students to discuss with Kirk at the union in May.
