🔗 Share this article Student Society President-Elect Ousted Following Charlie Kirk Comments Charlie Kirk and George Abaraonye participated in a debate at the Oxford Union in May The future president of the Oxford Union has been removed from his position after losing a vote of confidence that came after his controversial social media posts about Charlie Kirk. The vote against the student leader reached the necessary super-majority to oust him from his position, according to an announcement from the organization. Contentious Posts The dispute erupted after Mr Abaraonye reportedly shared messages on social media that seemed to welcome the death of the American conservative figure, who was fatally shot while speaking at a university in the United States. 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 posted in a WhatsApp chat with fellow students appearing to express approval of the event. Election Results The vote of confidence took place over the weekend, with outcomes announced on Tuesday. Official notices showed that over twelve hundred votes were cast in favor of removal, while 501 were against the motion. The notice stated that the future president was considered to have stepped down in accordance with the society's regulations. The student society shared the outcome of the no-confidence vote on this week Election Controversies Proceedings were informally suspended early on Monday after the election official was allegedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from several representatives. In a statement, the student asserted that the vote tally had been halted because electoral officials believed "no valid outcome could be reached as a result of procedural failures". His statement categorically refuted that any representative appointed by George had engaged in intimidating or disruptive behavior. Ongoing Dispute The student stated that extremely serious issues had been referred to the governing body and that he remained the elected leader. His comment added that George was "grateful and honored to have the backing 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 said that any failure to remove him would "demonstrate internationally that the Oxford Union has prioritized politics over principles". Charlie Kirk was fatally shot while speaking at a university in September External Reactions On Friday, Mikey McCoy read out an public message to the society on a related program broadcast. The message criticized the union of becoming a place where "student leaders publicly celebrate the assassination of a political opponent". The communication warned that if the student were to remain in post, Kirk's allies would "directly reach out to 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 criticized Mr Abaraonye's remarks 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 the activist at the union in May.