Students’ Representative Council (SRC) President Jacky He has accused convenors of the Autonomous Collective Against Racism (ACAR) and numerous SRC councillors of lying about the organisation of a vigil for the Christchurch massacre.
During a meeting of the SRC tonight, numerous individuals raised the fact that He did not accept a request from ACAR to co-host the ACAR-organised Christchurch vigil, which occurred on March 22. He asserted that he did not receive a request from ACAR to co-host the vigil despite numerous first-hand accounts and incontrovertible digital evidence.
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He told Honi that he did not receive a co-host request for the event in question. “From my end, I did receive a request from ACAR to co-host the event along with the Red Cross society but the Red Cross Society did not get back to me.” Grassroots councillor and Women’s Collective convenor Layla Mkh confronted He, alleging that he initially supported ACAR’s request to co-host, but did not, in fact, accept the request. He responded by arguing that the issue should have been “followed up” with him closer to the event.
Women’s Collective Convenor Jazz Breen and ACAR convenor Ellie Wilson presented He with the digital evidence of their request, which still read “pending”. He then backtracked and suggested that the request had not been sent until after the vigil was held. He then returned to his original position, saying “maybe you just didn’t send it.”
The discussion was closed after councillor James Ardouin (Liberal) moved a procedural motion to accept He’s President’s Report, with no more speakers on the report allowed.
He was criticised roundly during the meeting for his response to the Christchurch massacre. It was noted by several councillors that He himself was not present at the SRC’s separately organised vigil in tandem with the Red Cross Society, nor did he include any mention of the massacre in his President’s report the week after.