Oxford Union Future Leader Ousted Due to Charlie Kirk Comments
The future president of the prestigious debating society has been ousted from office after losing a vote of confidence that followed his controversial online comments about the conservative activist.
The vote against George Abaraonye achieved the required two-thirds threshold to oust him from his position, according to an statement from the organization.
Contentious Posts
The controversy erupted after Mr Abaraonye reportedly posted messages on online platforms that seemed to celebrate the killing of Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot while speaking at a university in Utah.
According to reports, one Instagram post reportedly stated "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an extended form of the phrase 'lol'.
The student leader is also said to have posted in a WhatsApp chat with fellow students appearing to welcome the incident.
Vote Outcome
The vote of confidence was conducted over the weekend, with outcomes announced on this week.
Official notices indicated that 1,228 ballots were cast in favor of removal, while 501 were opposed the motion.
The announcement stated that the president-elect was deemed to have stepped down in accordance with the society's regulations.
Procedural Disputes
Voting operations were informally suspended early on Monday after the returning officer was reportedly subjected to "interference, threats, and inappropriate behavior" from multiple individuals.
In a statement, the student asserted that the vote tally had been halted because election administrators believed "no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of procedural failures".
His response categorically refuted that any representative appointed by the student had engaged in threatening or obstructive conduct.
Ongoing Dispute
The president-elect stated that significant concerns had been referred to the disciplinary committee and that he remained the elected leader.
His comment added that he was "proud and thankful to have the backing of well in excess of a majority of university members" who supported a "safe election and resist attempts to subvert democracy".
Critics have argued that any failure to remove him would "signal to the world that the Oxford Union has prioritized politics over principles".
External Responses
On Friday, Mikey McCoy read out an public message to the Oxford Union on The Charlie Kirk Show podcast.
The message accused the union of becoming a institution where "presidents of the union publicly celebrate the assassination of a political opponent".
The statement indicated that if Mr Abaraonye were to keep his position, Kirk's allies would "directly reach out to every American political speaker who has ever graced the union's chamber and advise them against future participation".
The Oxford Union had previously criticized Mr Abaraonye's remarks after Kirk's death and stated that concerns 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 spring.
