Student Society Future Leader Removed Due to Charlie Kirk Comments

Student society event
Charlie Kirk and George Abaraonye participated in a discussion at the Oxford Union in May

The president-elect of the Oxford Union has been ousted from office after failing a no-confidence vote that came after his controversial online comments about Charlie Kirk.

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

Contentious Posts

The dispute erupted after Mr Abaraonye reportedly shared messages on online platforms that seemed to celebrate the killing of the American conservative figure, who was fatally shot while addressing a college in the United States.

According to reports, one Instagram post reportedly read "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 fellow students appearing to express approval of the event.

Vote Outcome

The no-confidence motion took place over the weekend, with results announced on Tuesday.

Official notices indicated that 1,228 ballots were cast in favor of removal, while just over five hundred were opposed the motion.

The announcement confirmed that the future president was deemed to have stepped down in following the society's regulations.

Society notice
The Oxford Union shared the result of the confidence motion on Tuesday morning

Procedural Disputes

Voting operations 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 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 process errors".

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

Continuing Controversy

The student stated that significant concerns had been referred to the disciplinary committee 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 oppose efforts to undermine the electoral process".

Critics have said that any decision to keep him would "signal to the world that the Oxford Union has prioritized politics over principles".

Charlie Kirk speaking
The conservative activist was shot dead while addressing a university in last month

External Responses

On recently, Kirk's former chief of staff read out an open letter to the society on The Charlie Kirk Show broadcast.

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

The communication warned that if the student were to keep his position, Kirk's allies would "directly reach out to 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 previously condemned the student's comments after Kirk's death and stated that complaints filed against him had been referred for official review.

The student leader had been one of multiple members to discuss with the activist at the society in spring.

Bianca Santos
Bianca Santos

Award-winning journalist with over a decade of experience covering UK politics and social issues, known for insightful reporting.