Oxford Union president resigns after blind student dragged from debate ‘by his ankles’
- Footage shows distressed Ghanaian postgraduate Ebenezer Azamati clinging to bench as two men try to remove him from chamber
- Azamati was then suspended from exclusive debating society after being accused of ‘violent misconduct’
The president of the prestigious Oxford Union resigned on Tuesday after weeks of mounting pressure following the ill-treatment of a blind Ghanaian postgraduate student who was forcefully evicted by security personnel during a crowded debate in October.
Ebenezer Azamati, 25, had arrived at the debate early to secure a seat ahead of the discussion due to concerns about accessibility for people who are visually impaired. When he returned to the chamber after having something to eat, Azamati was confronted by staff who allegedly told him that the room was full.
Video footage of the incident shows a visibly distressed Azamati clinging to the bench as two men aggressively try to remove him from the chamber. In one hand, he clutches his membership card while crying: “I’m not leaving!”
“Doesn’t he have rights to the chamber like everyone else? Isn’t he supposed to be given consideration due to his disability? Why did everyone carry on with their business like nothing was happening?” Oxford University’s Africa Society tweeted before swiftly launching a campaign to defend Azamati.
The Oxford Union is a nearly two-century-old independent debating society whose members are drawn mainly from the University of Oxford in England.
