Oxford Union President-Elect Ousted Following Charlie Kirk Comments
The president-elect of the prestigious debating society has been ousted from office after losing a no-confidence vote that came after his controversial social media posts about Charlie Kirk.
The vote against George Abaraonye reached the necessary super-majority to remove him from office, according to an statement from the organization.
Disputed Comments
The controversy began after Mr Abaraonye reportedly posted messages on online platforms that appeared to celebrate the killing of Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead 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 phrase 'lol'.
The president-elect is also reported to have written in a messaging group with other members seeming to welcome the incident.
Vote Outcome
The vote of confidence took place over the recent days, with results announced on Tuesday.
Society announcements showed that 1,228 ballots were cast supporting no confidence, while 501 were against the motion.
The notice stated that the president-elect was considered to have resigned in accordance with the society's regulations.
Election Controversies
Proceedings were temporarily halted early on the previous day after the returning officer was allegedly subjected to "interference, threats, and inappropriate behavior" from several representatives.
In a response, Mr Abaraonye asserted that the count had been halted because electoral officials believed "no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of procedural failures".
His statement categorically refuted that any person appointed by the student had engaged in threatening or obstructive conduct.
Ongoing Dispute
The student maintained that significant concerns had been referred to the governing body and that he continued as president-elect.
His comment added that he was "proud and thankful to have the support of significantly more than half of students at Oxford" who supported a "safe election and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".
Opponents have argued that any decision to keep him would "demonstrate internationally that the society has chosen ideology over integrity".
External Responses
On recently, Kirk's former chief of staff presented an open letter to the Oxford Union on a related program podcast.
The message criticized the union of becoming a institution where "student leaders publicly celebrate the assassination of a ideological rival".
The statement warned that if Mr Abaraonye were to keep his position, supporters would "personally contact every U.S. political figure who has ever graced the union's chamber and advise them against future participation".
The society had earlier criticized Mr Abaraonye's remarks after Kirk's death and confirmed that complaints filed against him had been forwarded for disciplinary proceedings.
The president-elect had been one of multiple members to debate with the activist at the union in May.