King’s College Student Union (KCSU) has postponed a vote on a motion seeking to remove the controversial Hammer & Sickle flag from King’s College Bar.

At an Open Meeting on Thursday, the committee decided to postpone the vote until Thursday, February 11, to give members a chance to generate additional proposals regarding the future of the flag. Proposals mentioned thus far include removing the flag entirely, replacing it with another symbol, or adding a disclaimer.

The controversial symbol, which was once the flag of the Soviet Union, sits inside a gilded frame and has been hung in the College bar since the days of the Cold War. In recent years, however, it has attracted fierce debate from many who find the image to be objectionable and offensive.

Arguing in favour of its removal at the Open Meeting, Stephen Downie said, “King's bar is a place where members of the College should feel comfortable. I know for a fact that some King's members and some visitors have people in their family who were persecuted or killed under the Soviet Union.”

He added, “Although [the flag] may be a part of King's history, it is an embarrassing and anachronistic one which harms our College's reputation and alienates certain members of the College community.”

It seems likely that the flag will be removed, as even those who opposed the motion did so with the suggestion that it be replaced with a less controversial symbol, but one that still represented the College’s radical history.

Luke Hawksbee, arguing in opposition, said, “I have absolutely no desire for KCSU to seemingly endorse Stalinism so I proposed that we replace the flag with a more generic symbol of socialism to keep our radical traditions alive."

Despite the contentious nature of the meeting, many felt that it had been a positive and productive experience. Speaking to Varsity, Juan Zober de Francisco, President of KCSU, said "I feel that the debate was constructive and interesting. As expected, the issue is one that's not only controversial, but one that many students feel personally involves their lives, and the massive turnout is a testament to this."

He added, "Although people feel personally involved, and despite the fact that there was an incredibly wide variety of perspectives and opinions, most of the comments remained to the point and didn't stray into personal attacks."

KCSU is currently accepting proposals from College members and expects a final vote on the motion to take place on February 11th.