Green Party leader Zack Polanski has stated that he would discourage pro-Palestine protesters from using the chant 'globalise the intifada,' but he cautioned against specifically outlawing the phrase or banning a planned protest in London later this month. His remarks came during an appearance on BBC One's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, where he also reiterated his apology for sharing a social media post critical of police after the recent attack in Golders Green.
Polanski's Stance on Free Speech
Polanski argued that outlawing the chant would overly restrict freedom of speech. He said, 'No, I don't think that's correct. I think it's important that we make sure that we have freedom of speech in this country and freedom of protest.' He added that he did not believe 'policing people's language' would make Jewish people safer. However, when asked if he would use the phrase himself, Polanski replied, '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.'
Apology Over Golders Green Post
Polanski reiterated his apology for sharing a post on X that criticized police for their arrest of a suspect after two Jewish people were stabbed in Golders Green, north-west London, on Wednesday. Footage of the arrest showed two officers appearing to kick the man on or near his head. Polanski said that while he remained concerned about the footage, he apologized 'because I accept that X or social media is not the appropriate forum to have that concern.' He added that he planned to discuss the matter privately with Met Commissioner Mark Rowley.
On Friday, Rowley used an open letter to accuse Polanski of undermining his officers by sharing the critical post. Polanski argued that this was a mistake as well: 'I also think an open letter from the commissioner also wasn't necessarily the appropriate forum, but I'm glad we've resolved that. I've asked the commissioner for a meeting, and I'll be taking those conversations up in private.'
Government and Opposition Reactions
Speaking earlier on the same programme, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said it was right for police to take action in the face of repeated protests that were 'intimidating a particular community, that was always on the receiving end.' She stated that the decision on whether to ban a planned pro-Gaza protest on 16 May was an operational one for the police, and that any outright ban on chanting 'globalise the intifada' would be decided after a review of protest laws by former Director of Public Prosecutions Ken Macdonald, now a crossbench peer.
'We are not talking about an outright comprehensive ban on protest or anything like that,' Alexander said. 'We are talking about the cumulative impact upon the Jewish community in particular. Here we will take the steps that are appropriate to deal with this problem, but we will also defend the right to protest.'
Conservative Leader's Call for Ban
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told the programme that all pro-Gaza marches needed to be stopped, saying they were 'creating a climate that is normalising hatred towards Jews.' When asked if police should ban a march in London also planned for 16 May and led by far-right agitator Tommy Robinson, Badenoch said no. 'Is he creating a climate of intimidation and violence?' she asked. When told that a previous Robinson-organised march last year had resulted in a number of arrests, Badenoch said: 'This is exactly what I'm talking about. You haven't been able to say who that was targeted against.'
Earlier in the weekend, Prime Minister Keir Starmer called for 'tougher action' against marchers using the chant after last week's attack on Jewish people in Golders Green, saying pro-Gaza marches risked having a cumulative effect of being intimidating. While the Metropolitan Police already have a policy of arresting people who chant 'globalise the intifada,' Alexander said any further action would await an ongoing review of protest laws.
