Oxford Union President-Elect Removed Due to Conservative Activist Comments

The president-elect of the Oxford Union has been removed from his position after losing a no-confidence vote that came after his disputed online comments about Charlie Kirk.

The vote against the student leader reached the necessary two-thirds threshold to remove him from office, according to an statement from the organization.

Disputed Comments

The dispute began after the student reportedly posted messages on social media that appeared to celebrate the death of Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot while addressing a university in the United States.

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 WhatsApp chat with other members appearing to express approval of the event.

Election Results

The vote of confidence took place over the recent days, with outcomes revealed on Tuesday.

Official notices showed that 1,228 ballots were cast supporting removal, while just over five hundred were opposed the motion.

The notice stated that the future president was considered to have stepped down in accordance with the Oxford Union's rules.

Procedural Disputes

Proceedings were temporarily halted early on the previous day after the election official was reportedly subjected to "interference, threats, and inappropriate behavior" from several representatives.

In a statement, Mr Abaraonye asserted that the vote tally had been stopped because election administrators believed "no valid outcome could be reached as a result of procedural failures".

His response categorically refuted that any person appointed by George had participated in intimidating or disruptive behavior.

Continuing Controversy

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

His comment added that George was "grateful and honored to have the backing of significantly more than half of students at Oxford" who supported a "safe election and resist attempts to subvert democracy".

Critics have argued that any failure to remove him would "signal to the world that the Oxford Union has chosen ideology over integrity".

External Reactions

On Friday, Mikey McCoy presented an open letter to the Oxford Union on The Charlie Kirk Show broadcast.

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

The statement warned 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 advise them against future participation".

The Oxford Union had earlier criticized the student'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 discuss with Kirk at the union in May.