King’s students have decided to scrap the decision to take down the Soviet flag hanging in the bar.

The Soviet symbol will instead hang next to the winner of this evening’s flag hustings (‘Flustings’), originally held to decide which flag would replace the soviet flag.

In an unexpected twist, Max Kelsey, a second-year historian, submitted an emergency motion on the grounds that the debate that took place last term had been based on “inaccurate” information.  He pointed to the fact that the flag was first adopted by the USSR two years after Stalin’s death, and therefore did not cause offence to those who suffered under Stalin’s rule.

Lisa Karlin, who proposed and won last December’s motion to take down the flag, told Varsity she was “deeply upset” that the motion had passed.  Lisa’s family, originally from Ukraine, suffered under Soviet rule.

The Flustings, held to decide what symbol would hang next to the Soviet flag, was a more light-hearted affair.  Proposals included a banner proclaiming ‘Eton ‘n King’s 4eva’ and a portrait of Margaret Thatcher, whose nominator asked “what’s not to like about her?” 

Other suggestions which were well received included a purple and white hammer and sickel, and photos of an activist painting ‘Free Mandela’ on the side of King’s College Chapel.  A portrait of King’s alumnus, Alan Turing, was also suggested.  Turing was a prominent WWII codebreaker and computer science pioneer who was chemically castrated after being convicted for his homosexuality and was posthumously pardoned last year. 

Voting for the suplementary flag is open today for all King’s students online, and by ballot in the bar.