Oxford Union President-Elect Removed Following Charlie Kirk Comments

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

The future president of the prestigious debating society has been removed from his position after failing a no-confidence vote that came after his disputed online comments about Charlie Kirk.

The motion against George Abaraonye achieved the required two-thirds threshold to remove him from office, according to an statement from the organization.

Contentious Posts

The dispute erupted after Mr Abaraonye reportedly shared messages on social media that seemed to celebrate the death of the American conservative figure, who was fatally shot while addressing a college in Utah.

According to sources, one social media message reportedly stated "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 WhatsApp chat with other members seeming to express approval of the event.

Vote Outcome

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

Official notices showed that over twelve hundred votes were cast supporting no confidence, while 501 were against the motion.

The announcement stated that the president-elect was considered to have resigned in accordance with the society's regulations.

Oxford Union announcement
The student society announced the result of the confidence motion on Tuesday morning

Election Controversies

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

In a statement, Mr Abaraonye asserted that the count had been halted because election administrators believed "no valid outcome could be reached as a result of process errors".

His statement categorically refuted that any person acting for George had engaged in intimidating or disruptive behavior.

Ongoing Dispute

The president-elect stated that extremely serious issues had been referred to the disciplinary committee and that he continued as president-elect.

His comment added that George was "proud and thankful to have the support of well in excess of a majority of students at Oxford" who supported a "secure voting process and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".

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

Conservative activist
Charlie Kirk was shot dead while speaking at a college in last month

External Reactions

On recently, Kirk's former chief of staff presented an open letter to the society on a related program podcast.

The letter accused the society of becoming a institution where "student leaders openly applaud the killing of a political opponent".

The statement warned that if the student were to keep his position, Kirk's allies would "personally contact every American political speaker who has ever graced the union's chamber and advise them against future participation".

The society had earlier condemned Mr Abaraonye's remarks after the activist's killing and stated that complaints submitted about him had been referred for official review.

The president-elect had been one of multiple members to discuss with the activist at the union in May.

James King
James King

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