An assault on a blind Ghanaian student during an Oxford union event was caught on video, outraged netizens demand accountability on the incident.
Assault inside the Oxford union
A viral video showing an assault of event bouncers on a black student who also happens to be blind sparked outrage among netizens, especially the African community. The student in the video was found out to be Ebenezer Azamati, a former student of the University of Ghana and now admitted to the University of Oxford pursuing a Masters in Philosophy.
Ebenezer Azamati has been an active member of the debate team since his days with the University of Ghana and has brought it to Oxford union activities. The student was attending an Oxford union event when the viral video was taken.
Azamati on the video was forcibly taken out of the University debate premises by Oxford Union bouncers. Not included in the video, but there were also allegations that the student was also slapped, manhandled, and restricted from re-entering the premises. There were no clear details yet as what sparked the incident that led to the assault on the student. But the actions taken by two grown and well-built bouncers on a helpless blind student is not justifiable nonetheless.
Hundreds of Oxford university students were outraged by the incident and started to call out university officials for immediate actions. Students are taking out in social media the issue, gaining international community support.
Oxford Union is racist
What happened isn’t just unjust, it’s racist/ableist
The other day, someone tried to debate me about colonialism being a racist enterprise
Africa Society at Oxford University
The Oxford University Africa Society (AfriSoc) calls out the resignation of the Union president after having no firm actions against the perpetrators of Mr. Azamati.
The AfriSoc is asking Union president Brendan Mcgrath to take appropriate actions against the bounce who manhandled and physically assaulted thee blind student Ebenezer Azamati.
Mr. Azamati, visually disable undergoing that kind of violent action is unjust, inhumane, and shameful. How can they explain the use of force they had to do to pull out Azamati from his seat and out of the event premises. Someone must be held accountable and union officials should speak up.
The AfriSoc sees this as a case of social injustice not just against Mr. Azamati but to all African students, students with a disability, and the rest of the students in the university.
