Polanski appears to double down on criticism of police who stopped Golders Green attack
Green Party leader told the BBC, "I was very concerned by what I saw and I remain concerned" despite apologising for sharing a critical social media post
Zack Polanski has repeated his concerns about how police subdued and arrested the man charged with stabbing two Jewish men in Golders Green, hours after he apologised for sharing a critical social media post.
Asked if he believed the police were heavy-handed in arresting Essa Suleiman, who was holding a knife and wearing a backpack, Polanski told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg: “I was very concerned by what I saw and I remain concerned.”
Polanski told the presenter police “should not be above scrutiny” and action must be “proportionate no matter how brave”.
The Green leader has faced criticism from within his own ranks, as well as from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer who branded him “disgraceful” and “not fit to lead any political party”.
Polanski later told Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips on Sky News: “I think you can both recognise the bravery of officers who run towards incidents that most of us, including myself, would certainly want to run away from, and find the appropriate forum to say that no one, especially the police, should be above scrutiny. The reason why I’ve apologised is I accept that wasn’t the appropriate forum.
“Open letters aren’t an appropriate way to do politics either in a local election,” he said of Sir Mark’s letter, “but I accept all of that, and I’ll be having that conversation with the commissioner”.
Cabinet minister Heidi Alexander said on Sunday that she could see herself kicking the suspect in the attack if she was a police officer.
The Transport Secretary told Times Radio: “I thought that if I was in the shoes of that police officer then if I’m honest, given the situation and the fact that he had a backpack on his back and they were worried about whether that might go off, I could if I was a police officer, frankly, I could see myself having taken similar action.”
The original post on X had accused the officers of “repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head” when he was already incapacitated from being tasered.
Alleged attacker Essa Suleiman, 45, is accused of trying to kill Shloime Rand, 34, and Norman Shine, 76, during a knife rampage through the streets of the north London suburb.
He appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning and was remanded in custody.
Mr Polanski was also drawn into the debate around chanting “globalise the intifada” at demonstrations, and said he discourages the use of the phrase but that he is “not interested” in policing language.
It comes after the Prime Minister said protesters have a responsibility to call out chants of the words at Gaza marches.
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