🔗 Share this article Oxford Union Future Leader Ousted Due to Charlie Kirk Posts Charlie Kirk and George Abaraonye participated in a discussion at the student society in spring The future president of the prestigious debating society has been ousted from office after failing a no-confidence vote that came after his controversial online comments about Charlie Kirk. The vote against George Abaraonye achieved the required two-thirds threshold to remove him from office, according to an announcement from the society. Disputed Comments The controversy erupted after Mr Abaraonye reportedly posted messages on online platforms that seemed to celebrate the death of Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot while speaking at 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 acronym for 'laughing out loud'. The president-elect is also reported to have posted in a messaging group with fellow students seeming to express approval of the event. Election Results The no-confidence motion took place over the recent days, with outcomes revealed on Tuesday. Society announcements showed that over twelve hundred votes were cast in favor of no confidence, while 501 were against the motion. The announcement stated that the future president was deemed to have stepped down in accordance with the Oxford Union's rules. The student society shared the result of the confidence motion on Tuesday morning Procedural Disputes Proceedings were informally suspended early on Monday after the election official was reportedly subjected to "interference, threats, and inappropriate behavior" from several representatives. In a response, the student asserted that the vote tally had been stopped because election administrators believed "no valid outcome could be reached as a result of process errors". His response categorically refuted that any representative appointed by the student had participated in intimidating or disruptive behavior. Ongoing Dispute The student maintained that significant concerns had been submitted to the governing body and that he continued as the elected leader. His comment added that George was "grateful and honored to have the support of well in excess of a majority of students at Oxford" who voted to have a "safe election and resist attempts to subvert democracy". Critics have said that any decision to keep him would "signal to the world that the Oxford Union has prioritized politics over principles". The conservative activist was fatally shot while speaking at a university in September External Reactions On Friday, Kirk's former chief of staff presented an open letter to the Oxford Union on a related program podcast. The message accused the union of becoming a institution where "student leaders openly applaud the assassination of a ideological rival". The communication warned that if the student were to remain in post, 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 criticized Mr Abaraonye's remarks after the activist's killing and confirmed that concerns filed against him had been referred for official review. The student leader had been one of multiple members to debate with Kirk at the society in May.