‘The brave should not be above scrutiny’: Polanski’s astonishing attempt to justify criticism of Golders Green hero cops, as he denies Gaza marches make Jews feel unsafe and lashes out at Met Chief over public rebuke
Zack Polanski today reignited a row over the Golders Green terror attack as he questioned whether police officers at the scene used ‘proportionate force’ to arrest a suspect.
The Green Party leader was last week criticised for endorsing claims on social media that Metropolitan Police officers were heavy-handed after three people were stabbed, earning a public rebuke from Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley.
Mr Polanski issued a half-hearted apology for his actions on Friday night, but in a round of media interviews today doubled down on his questioning of the police’s actions.
He told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuennsberg he was ‘concerned by what he saw and remains concerned’ by videos of the arrest last Wednesday.
He added that ‘people who are being brave should not be above scrutiny’ and criticised Sir Mark for intervening publicly, saying: ‘Open letters aren’t an appropriate way to do politics either in a local election.’
In a wide-ranging set of interviews he also defended pro-Palestinian marches through London saying they do not make British Jews any more ‘unsafe’.
He said said that accusations that the marches were hotbeds of anti-Semitism were a ‘distortion’ and people, including Jews like himself, had the right to march to protest against the bloodshed in Gaza.
It came after Sir Keir Starmer lashed out at chants of ‘globalise the intifada’, amid concerns about the growing threat to British Jews.
The Green Party leader said that accusations that the marches were hotbeds of anti-Semitism were a ‘distortion’
It came after Sir Keir Starmer lashed out at chants of ‘globalise the intifada’, amid concerns about the growing threat to British Jews
The Prime Minister also suggested he wanted to see ‘tougher action’ against people using certain phrases at Gaza demonstrations, but stopped short of agreeing with calls for a ban on the marches.
Mr Polanski told the BBC that ‘globalise the intifada’ was not a racist chant, though he said he would not use it himself.
He told the BBC: ‘I want people to be more effective so I wouldn’t encourage people to use it because actually I think you can make your point a lot more effectively and not get into this conversation about language.
‘Words matter, but the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been murdered, the people in Lebanon who have been killed, these people matter too, and I think if people want to protest, that it’s important we defend their right to protest.
‘Yes I do discourage, to give you a more direct answer, the use of the phrase but I’m not interested in trying to police people’s language.’
In her own round of interviews, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said Mr Polanski’s original social media activity had been ‘disgusting … and absolutely abhorrent’.
‘I think for the leader of a political party, to jump on to Twitter, start retweeting content, criticizing those policemen who responded with incredible bravery in what was a very difficult situation. I think it demonstrates that the man is not fit to lead a political party.’
Sir Mark had said in a letter to the Green leader he was ‘disappointed’, adding the post was ‘inaccurate and misinformed’.
He added: ‘Unless you’ve been in that moment where you’re scared stiff and you’re confronting somebody so dangerous, it’s hard to put yourself in that situation.
‘They’re desperately concerned about stunning him and sort of neutralising him.’
Met Police chief Sir Mark Rowley said that he will not allow ‘misinformed’ people to ‘undermine’ the hero officers who brought down the Golders Green suspect
Polanski retweeted a post suggesting hero policemen who disarmed the Golders Green terrorist were heavy handed
The UK terrorism threat level has been raised to ‘severe’ by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre, meaning a terror attack is ‘highly likely’, after two Jewish men were stabbed in the incident.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Sir Keir said: ‘I will defend the right of peaceful protest very strongly and freedom of speech. I have defended those principles all my life and I will continue to do so. And so I’m not stepping back from that one bit.
‘But if you are on a march or a protest where people are chanting, ‘globalise the Intifada’, you do have to stop and ask yourself, why am I not calling this out? Why am I on a march where this is the chant? And I do think it’s time for people just to ask themselves that.
‘I’m not saying, of course, that there aren’t very strong legitimate views about the Middle East, about Gaza. We all have deep concerns about it. This Government has recognised Palestine just last year. So, of course, there are important issues.’
