Oxford Union President-Elect Ousted Due to Charlie Kirk Comments
The president-elect of the prestigious debating society has been removed from his position after failing a vote of confidence that followed his controversial online comments about Charlie Kirk.
The vote against the student leader reached the necessary super-majority to remove him from office, according to an announcement from the society.
Contentious Posts
The dispute began after the student reportedly shared messages on online platforms that seemed to welcome the death of Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot while speaking at a college in Utah.
According to reports, one Instagram post reportedly read "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an extended form of the acronym for 'laughing out loud'.
The president-elect is also said to have written in a messaging group with fellow students appearing to express approval of the event.
Vote Outcome
The no-confidence motion took place over the recent days, with outcomes revealed on Tuesday.
Society announcements indicated that over twelve hundred votes were cast supporting removal, while just over five hundred were opposed the motion.
The notice confirmed that the future president was considered to have resigned in accordance with the Oxford Union's rules.
Procedural Disputes
Voting operations were informally suspended early on Monday after the returning officer was allegedly subjected to "interference, threats, and inappropriate behavior" from multiple individuals.
In a statement, Mr Abaraonye claimed that the count had been stopped because election administrators believed "no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of procedural failures".
His statement categorically refuted that any representative acting for George had participated 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 the elected leader.
His comment added that he was "grateful and honored to have the support of well in excess of a majority of students at Oxford" who voted to have 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 prioritized politics over principles".
External Reactions
On Friday, Mikey McCoy read out an open letter to the Oxford Union on a related program broadcast.
The letter criticized the society of becoming a place where "presidents of the union publicly celebrate the killing of a ideological rival".
The communication warned that if Mr Abaraonye were to keep his position, Kirk's allies would "personally contact every American political speaker who has ever spoken at the society and urge them never again to lend their name".
The Oxford Union had earlier condemned Mr Abaraonye's comments after Kirk's death and stated that concerns filed against him had been referred for official review.
The president-elect had been one of several students to debate with the activist at the society in spring.