Student Society Future Leader Removed Following Charlie Kirk Comments
The president-elect of the Oxford Union has been removed from his position after failing a no-confidence vote that came after his controversial social media posts about Charlie Kirk.
The vote against the student leader achieved the necessary super-majority to oust him from his position, according to an statement from the organization.
Disputed Comments
The dispute began after the student reportedly shared messages on online platforms that appeared to celebrate the killing of the American conservative figure, who was fatally shot while addressing a college in the United States.
According to sources, one social media message reportedly read "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an elongated version of the acronym for 'laughing out loud'.
The student leader is also said to have posted in a messaging group with other members seeming to welcome the incident.
Vote Outcome
The no-confidence motion took place over the weekend, with results announced on this week.
Official notices showed that over twelve hundred votes were cast in favor of removal, while 501 were against the motion.
The notice confirmed that the future president was considered to have resigned in following the Oxford Union's rules.
Election Controversies
Proceedings were informally suspended early on Monday after the election official was reportedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from multiple individuals.
In a statement, Mr Abaraonye asserted 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 response categorically refuted that any representative acting for the student had participated in intimidating or disruptive behavior.
Ongoing Dispute
The student stated that significant concerns had been submitted to the governing body and that he continued as president-elect.
His statement added that George was "grateful and honored to have the backing of significantly more than half of university members" who supported a "secure voting process and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".
Critics have said that any decision to keep him would "signal to the world that the society has chosen ideology over integrity".
External Responses
On recently, Mikey McCoy read out an public message to the Oxford Union on The Charlie Kirk Show podcast.
The message accused the society of becoming a place where "student leaders openly applaud the killing of a ideological rival".
The statement indicated that if the student were to remain in post, Kirk's allies would "personally contact every U.S. political figure who has ever graced the union's chamber 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 complaints filed against him had been referred for official review.
The president-elect had been one of multiple members to discuss with Kirk at the union in spring.