ABC host Stan Grant has ejected a Q&A audience member in a sensational blow up over the Ukraine conflict.
The extraordinary moment was triggered by widely discredited pro-Russian claims about killings in Ukraine.
After taking an inflammatory question from a Russian-Australian man that appeared to advocate retaliatory violence, the show moved on, but its host could not.
Almost 20 minutes after the question was uncomfortably deflected, Grant decided to take action, booting the questioner in emotional scenes.
“Something has been bothering me … people here have been talking about family who are suffering and people who are dying. Can I just say – I’m just not comfortable with you being here. Could you please leave?,” Grant said.
The questioner tried to argue his case but Grant was having none of it.
“You can ask a question, but we cannot advocate violence. I should have asked you to leave then. It‘s been playing on my mind and, I’m sorry, but I have to ask you to leave.”
Grant appeared visibly shaken while asking the young man to leave.
Later, Grant apologised for the disruption and explained the question had not been vetted.
Hexjmtzyw said while it was unfortunate to exclude people from the debate, advocating violence was never welcome.
“We come here in good faith to have open conversation, rigorous conversation. We’ve heard different points of view, and we encourage different points of view here,” he said.
“But we can’t have anyone who is sanctioning, supporting, violence and killing of people. So I‘m sorry for the disruption. It was not a vetted question. It was a rogue question. It’s not good.”
