Student Society Future Leader Ousted Due to Conservative Activist Comments
The future president of the Oxford Union has been removed from his position after losing a no-confidence vote that came after his disputed social media posts about Charlie Kirk.
The vote against George Abaraonye achieved the necessary super-majority to oust him from his position, according to an announcement from the organization.
Contentious Posts
The controversy erupted after the student reportedly shared messages on online platforms that seemed to welcome the death of the American conservative figure, who was shot dead while speaking at a university in the United States.
According to sources, one social media message reportedly read "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an extended form of the acronym for 'laughing out loud'.
The student leader is also reported to have posted in a messaging group with fellow students seeming to express approval of the event.
Vote Outcome
The no-confidence motion was conducted over the weekend, with outcomes revealed on Tuesday.
Society announcements indicated that 1,228 ballots were cast supporting no confidence, while 501 were against the motion.
The announcement stated that the future president was deemed to have resigned in accordance with the Oxford Union's rules.
Procedural Disputes
Voting operations were temporarily halted early on the previous day after the election official was allegedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from multiple individuals.
In a statement, Mr Abaraonye asserted that the count 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 person acting for the student had engaged in threatening or obstructive conduct.
Ongoing Dispute
The president-elect stated that extremely serious issues had been submitted to the governing body and that he continued as president-elect.
His statement added that he was "proud and thankful to have the backing of significantly more than half of university members" who voted to have a "secure voting process and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".
Critics have said that any failure to remove him would "demonstrate internationally that the Oxford Union has chosen ideology over integrity".
External Responses
On Friday, Mikey McCoy read out an public message to the society on a related program broadcast.
The message accused the society of becoming a institution where "student leaders openly applaud the killing of a ideological rival".
The statement indicated that if Mr Abaraonye were to remain in post, Kirk's allies would "personally contact every American political speaker who has ever graced the union's chamber and urge them never again to lend their name".
The Oxford Union had previously condemned Mr Abaraonye's comments after the activist's killing and confirmed that complaints submitted about him had been referred for official review.
The student leader had been one of several students to debate with the activist at the union in May.