Student Society Future Leader Removed Following Charlie Kirk Comments

Oxford Union debate
The activist and student leader took part in a discussion at the student society in spring

The future president of the prestigious debating society has been removed from his position after losing a vote of confidence that followed his controversial online comments about the conservative activist.

The vote against George Abaraonye achieved the required super-majority to remove him from office, according to an announcement from the organization.

Disputed Comments

The dispute erupted after Mr Abaraonye reportedly posted messages on social media that seemed to celebrate the death of Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot while addressing a university in Utah.

According to reports, 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 reported to have written in a WhatsApp chat with other members seeming to welcome the incident.

Vote Outcome

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

Official notices showed that over twelve hundred votes were cast supporting removal, while just over five hundred were opposed the motion.

The notice confirmed that the president-elect was considered to have stepped down in following the Oxford Union's rules.

Society notice
The Oxford Union announced the outcome of the confidence motion on Tuesday morning

Election Controversies

Proceedings were temporarily halted early on the previous day after the election official was reportedly subjected to "interference, threats, and inappropriate behavior" from several representatives.

In a response, Mr Abaraonye asserted that the vote tally had been stopped because electoral officials believed "no valid outcome could be reached as a result of process errors".

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

Ongoing Dispute

The student maintained that significant concerns 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 significantly more than half of students at Oxford" who supported a "safe election and resist attempts to subvert democracy".

Critics have argued that any decision to keep him would "signal to the world that the society has chosen ideology over integrity".

Charlie Kirk speaking
The conservative activist was fatally shot while addressing a college in last month

External Responses

On Friday, Mikey McCoy presented an open letter to the Oxford Union on The Charlie Kirk Show podcast.

The letter criticized the union of becoming a institution where "presidents of the union openly applaud the killing of a political opponent".

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

The Oxford Union had previously condemned the student's comments after Kirk's death 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 union in spring.

Emily Johnson
Emily Johnson

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