Oxford Union Future Leader Ousted Following Charlie Kirk Comments
The future president of the Oxford Union has been ousted from office after losing a vote of confidence that came after his controversial social media posts about the conservative activist.
The motion against George Abaraonye reached the required super-majority to remove him from office, according to an statement from the society.
Contentious Posts
The controversy began after the student reportedly shared messages on social media that seemed to welcome the killing of the American conservative figure, who was shot dead while speaking at a university in Utah.
According to reports, one Instagram post 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 WhatsApp chat with fellow students appearing to welcome the incident.
Vote Outcome
The no-confidence motion took place over the weekend, with outcomes announced on Tuesday.
Official notices indicated that over twelve hundred votes were cast in favor of removal, while just over five hundred were opposed the motion.
The notice confirmed that the future president was deemed to have stepped down in accordance with the Oxford Union's rules.
Procedural Disputes
Proceedings were informally suspended early on the previous day after the election official was allegedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from multiple individuals.
In a response, the student claimed that the count had been stopped because electoral officials believed "no valid outcome could be reached as a result of process errors".
His statement unequivocally denied that any representative appointed by the student had engaged in intimidating or disruptive behavior.
Continuing Controversy
The student maintained that extremely serious issues had been referred to the governing body and that he remained president-elect.
His statement added that he was "grateful and honored to have the backing of well in excess of a majority of students at Oxford" who supported a "secure voting process and resist attempts to subvert democracy".
Critics have argued that any decision to keep him would "demonstrate internationally that the society has prioritized politics over principles".
External Responses
On Friday, Kirk's former chief of staff presented an public message to the Oxford Union on a related program broadcast.
The letter criticized the union of becoming a institution where "student leaders openly applaud the assassination of a political opponent".
The communication indicated that if Mr Abaraonye were to keep his position, supporters would "directly reach out to every American political speaker who has ever spoken at the society and urge them never again to lend their name".
The society had earlier condemned the student's remarks after Kirk's death and confirmed that complaints submitted about him had been forwarded for disciplinary proceedings.
The student leader had been one of multiple members to discuss with the activist at the society in May.