Student Society President-Elect Ousted Following Conservative Activist Comments

Oxford Union debate
Charlie Kirk and George Abaraonye participated in a debate at the student society in May

The president-elect of the Oxford Union has been removed from his position after losing a vote of confidence that followed his controversial social media posts about Charlie Kirk.

The motion against George Abaraonye achieved the required two-thirds threshold to remove him from office, according to an announcement from the society.

Disputed Comments

The dispute began after Mr Abaraonye reportedly shared messages on social media that appeared to celebrate the killing of the American conservative figure, who was shot dead while speaking at a university in Utah.

According to sources, one social media message reportedly read "Charlie Kirk got shot loool" - using an extended form of the phrase 'lol'.

The student leader is also said to have posted in a messaging group with fellow students seeming to express approval of the event.

Election Results

The no-confidence motion was conducted over the recent days, with results announced on this week.

Society announcements indicated that 1,228 ballots were cast in favor of removal, while 501 were opposed the motion.

The notice stated that the president-elect was deemed to have stepped down in following the Oxford Union's rules.

Oxford Union announcement
The student society shared the outcome of the confidence motion on Tuesday morning

Procedural Disputes

Proceedings were temporarily halted early on Monday after the election official was allegedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from multiple individuals.

In a statement, the student claimed that the count had been halted because election administrators believed "no legitimate and true result could be reached as a result of procedural failures".

His statement unequivocally denied that any person appointed by the student had participated in intimidating or disruptive behavior.

Ongoing Dispute

The student maintained that significant concerns had been referred to the governing body and that he continued as president-elect.

His statement added that George was "proud and thankful to have the backing of significantly more than half of university members" who supported a "safe election and oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".

Critics have argued that any decision to keep him would "signal to the world that the society has prioritized politics over principles".

Conservative activist
The conservative activist was shot dead while addressing a university in last month

External Reactions

On recently, Kirk's former chief of staff presented an public message to the society on The Charlie Kirk Show podcast.

The message accused the society of becoming a institution where "student leaders openly applaud the killing of a political opponent".

The communication warned that if the student were to keep his position, supporters would "personally contact every U.S. political figure who has ever spoken at the society and urge them never again to lend their name".

The society had earlier condemned Mr Abaraonye's remarks after Kirk's death and stated that complaints filed against him had been referred for official review.

The student leader had been one of several students to discuss with Kirk at the society in spring.

Tristan Davis
Tristan Davis

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