Oxford Union president resigns amid row over blind student


Support us and go ad-free

The president of the Oxford Union has resigned after a blind student was forcibly removed from a debate event by a security guards.

Postgraduate student Ebenezer Azamati was taken from the venue by a security guard when he tried to return to a seat before the debate last month.

Union president Brendan McGrath wrote in a statement posted to Facebook late on Tuesday that he had resigned because it was his “job to ensure that every Member feels welcome at the Oxford Union”.

Read on...

Support us and go ad-free

“For all of my shortcomings, and all of my mistakes, I apologise profusely and unqualifiedly,” he added.

Azamati, an international relations scholar from Ghana, said his treatment left him feeling “unwelcome in the Union, Oxford and even the country”.

He successfully appealed on Saturday against what he told the BBC were claims of “false violent disorder” by the union.

Editor-in-chief of The Canary Kerry-anne Mendoza had been due to speak at the Oxford Union this week but withdrew in protest at the treatment of Azamati.

The society operates independently of the university and has hosted speakers and debates since 1823.

Support us and go ad-free

We know everyone is suffering under the Tories - but the Canary is a vital weapon in our fight back, and we need your support

The Canary Workers’ Co-op knows life is hard. The Tories are waging a class war against us we’re all having to fight. But like trade unions and community organising, truly independent working-class media is a vital weapon in our armoury.

The Canary doesn’t have the budget of the corporate media. In fact, our income is over 1,000 times less than the Guardian’s. What we do have is a radical agenda that disrupts power and amplifies marginalised communities. But we can only do this with our readers’ support.

So please, help us continue to spread messages of resistance and hope. Even the smallest donation would mean the world to us.

Support us