🔗 Share this article Oxford Union Future Leader Ousted Following Charlie Kirk Comments Charlie Kirk and George Abaraonye took part in a discussion at the Oxford Union in May The future president of the Oxford Union has been removed from his position after failing a no-confidence vote that came after his controversial online comments 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 society. Disputed Comments The dispute erupted after Mr Abaraonye reportedly posted messages on social media that appeared to welcome the death of Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead while speaking at a college in Utah. 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 written in a messaging group with fellow students seeming to welcome the incident. Vote Outcome The vote of confidence took place over the weekend, with outcomes revealed on Tuesday. Official notices indicated that 1,228 ballots were cast in favor of removal, while just over five hundred were against the motion. The announcement stated that the future president was deemed to have stepped down in following the Oxford Union's rules. The student society shared the result of the no-confidence vote on this week Procedural Disputes Voting operations were temporarily halted early on the previous day after the election official was allegedly subjected to "obstruction, intimidation, and unwarranted hostility" from several representatives. In a response, 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 process errors". His response unequivocally denied that any person acting for the student had participated in threatening or obstructive conduct. Ongoing Dispute The student maintained that significant concerns had been referred to the disciplinary committee and that he continued as the elected leader. His statement added that George was "proud and thankful to have the support of significantly more than half of students at Oxford" who supported a "safe election and resist attempts to subvert democracy". Opponents have argued that any failure to remove him would "signal to the world that the Oxford Union has prioritized politics over principles". The conservative activist was shot dead while speaking at a university in September External Reactions On Friday, Mikey McCoy presented an public message to the society on a related program broadcast. The message criticized the society of becoming a institution where "presidents of the union openly applaud the killing of a ideological rival". The statement indicated that if the student were to keep his position, Kirk's allies would "directly reach out to every American political speaker who has ever spoken at the society and advise them against future participation". The Oxford Union had previously criticized the student's remarks after Kirk's death and stated that concerns filed against him had been referred for official review. The president-elect had been one of multiple members to discuss with the activist at the society in May.