Polanski says he would 'discourage' use of the phrase 'globalise the intifada' on marches
Speaking to the BBC, Zack Polanski discouraged people from using the phrase “globalise the intifada” but stated he is “not interested” in policing language.
The Green Party leader told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg:
“It’s not a phrase I would use personally and that’s because I think if there’s other phrases you can use or other ways to do things then why not just do them.
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.”
The Metropolitan Police commissioner Mark Rowley told BBC Breakfast earlier in the week that people using “globalise the intifada” are “likely to be arrested”. “We said that before Christmas and we’ve already got people arrested and charged and in court for such behaviour,” Rowley said.
Lucy Powell says Labour has ‘no magic bullet’ as MPs brace for heavy losses in local elections
Labour’s deputy leader has warned there will be “no magic bullet” to solve Labour’s problems or the major challenges facing the country, as MPs prepare for significant losses in the upcoming local elections.
Powell told she understood the “huge anger and despondency” among Labour MPs following the Peter Mandelson vetting scandal but said the prime minister would not repeat such mistakes.
During her deputy leadership campaign, Powell called for Keir Starmer to adopt a more explicitly progressive stance. She declined to engage in leadership speculation despite the party potentially losing over 75% of the council seats it is defending, as well as power in Wales and failing to surpass the SNP in Scotland.
She cautioned MPs that there would be “no one change” to reverse the party’s fortunes. Speaking on the campaign trail in Leeds, where Labour faces competition from Reform and the Greens, she said:
“There’s no magic bullet here for us. We are in a difficult world.
I strongly believe that we’ve got the right agenda to start turning that around. To give people hope, an opportunity and see the change in their communities.”
When asked if Keir Starmer was the right leader to deliver this change, Powell replied:
“I’m not going to get into that. I think there’s no one change that [will affect] all of these situations. We’ve still got to tackle these big issues, and we’ve got to do it in the right way with the right values. Having some side order conversation about personnel and people, I think misses the point.”
SNP will seek new independence referendum if it wins a majority in Scotland next week
The SNP’s Westminster leader Stephen Flynn told that winning a majority in next week’s Scottish parliament election would be seen as a mandate to demand a fresh independence referendum.
Flynn described the UK as “broken beyond repair” and said Scotland needs greater empowerment to make its own decisions. He stated:
“History is on our side in that regard so if next Thursday we break the electoral system in Scotland once again… then I would expect the people of Scotland to be given a say over their own future, as is right in any democratic society.”
“You’re telling me that Keir Starmer saying no means something – Keir Starmer is not going to be in office come the end of next week.”
He acknowledged Starmer might remain in office for a few weeks after the elections, which also include local council elections in England, but added the prime minister “loves a u-turn if he does somehow manage to stay in office”.
Flynn criticized the Westminster establishment for being unprepared for the political changes ahead, asserting they cannot continue to deny democratic rights to the Scottish and potentially Welsh people.
A second independence referendum would require UK government approval, but Starmer has stated he cannot envisage another referendum during his premiership.
In the 2014 referendum, Scotland voted against independence by 55% to 45%. Current projections indicate the SNP is likely to win Thursday’s election but may fall short of the majority needed to trigger a new referendum, as suggested by party leader John Swinney.
Momentum toward UK breakup is increasing, with Plaid Cymru contending for power in the Senedd and Sinn Féin the largest party in Belfast.
Zack Polanski also criticized the Times over a caricature depicting him with a “visibly hooked nose,” an antisemitic trope. The Green Party has lodged a complaint with the newspaper’s editor.
Polanski told Laura Kuenssberg:
“Jewish communities aren’t safe, and this isn’t an abstract idea for me as a Jewish person.
In fact, in the last six weeks alone two people have actually been arrested in relation to antisemitic actions towards me and just yesterday the Times newspaper published a pretty vile antisemitic caricature of me and have yet to apologise or withdraw that.”
Organizers of pro-Palestine marches have warned that Keir Starmer’s opposition to Israel’s actions in the Middle East risks undermining free assembly and free speech in the UK.
On Saturday morning, the prime minister told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “there are instances” when he would support stopping some pro-Palestine protests. He also advocated for tougher action against language used on some marches, including the chant “globalise the intifada.”
John Rees, co-founder and national officer of the Stop the War coalition, which organizes large pro-Palestine demonstrations in London, described Starmer’s comments as a “threat” to free assembly and free speech.
Speaking to , Rees said a ban would:
“strike at the root of free assembly and free speech in this country.”
He added:
“As long as the wars continue, as long as the killing continues, people will want to say to this government, you’re complicit in this, and you should stop. And will want to say to the Israeli government, you’re setting the Middle East on fire. It’s now impacting not only the lives of Palestinians, but the livelihood of people around the globe and you should stop.”
Regarding a small percentage of attendees who appear to support Hamas or chant “globalise the intifada,” Rees said that among millions of demonstrators, only a “minuscule number” have been arrested for such offenses.
He noted that stewards at demonstrations ask participants not to use inappropriate slogans, and most comply.
Conservative leader called for pro-Palestine marches to be banned entirely on Saturday afternoon, alleging they serve as a cover for promoting violence and intimidation against Jews.
Additional key points from the interview with Polanski
- Polanski stated Jewish safety does not improve by “escalating tensions.”
- He acknowledged real threats toward Jewish people, noting two arrests related to antisemitic actions against him in the past six weeks.
- He said that while some pro-Palestinian marches may make some Jewish people feel unsafe, that does not mean those demonstrations actually make them unsafe.
- Polanski emphasized the importance of dialogue on ensuring Jewish safety and feelings of safety during times of perceived threat.
- He supported freedom of speech and the right to protest against Israel’s actions in Gaza and the Israeli occupation.
- He affirmed that antisemitic crimes should be addressed under existing laws.
Both the Golders Green attack and video of the police response were 'traumatic', Polanski says
Trevor Phillips asked Green Party leader Zack Polanski about his decision to share a social media post condemning police officers’ actions during the arrest of the suspect in the Golders Green attack.
Polanski, acknowledging the “bravery” of police officers who confront dangerous incidents, apologized for his retweet, stating that X was not an “appropriate forum” for such comments.
He told :
“The first thing I did was recognise that this was a horrific crime and I showed solidarity to the victims and their families.
I then thanked the emergency responders for the brave work they did. I found it all very traumatic, especially as a Jewish person.
And I also found the video that was circulating online traumatic too. I accept though that conversation about that video needs to be had with the commissioner rather than on X.”
In an unusual public response, Met commissioner Mark Rowley criticized Polanski on X last Thursday, calling the retweeted post “inaccurate and misinformed commentary.” He praised the responding officers as “nothing short of extraordinary” and said that without their efforts, the outcome could have been far worse.
Rowley’s impartiality has been questioned amid accusations of political involvement ahead of upcoming elections, including London council elections.
PM shouldn't have to 'reapply for his job', minister says, as she insists Starmer is 'best' person to lead the country
Amid speculation about potential Labour leadership challenges following expected poor local election results, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander affirmed that Keir Starmer remains “the best person to lead our country.”
She told :
“So I think here is the best person to lead our country through the period of extreme international volatility that we are experiencing at the moment.
I don’t think the public would thank us if the Labour Party turned into some sort of self indulgent debating society when there are pockets of the world that feel like they are going to hell in a handcart at the moment.
I think asking the prime minister to somehow reapply for his job when all of that is going on and he is entirely focused on the concerns of the British people would be the wrong thing to do…
I think those people who think that we should have a leadership election now and repeat the mistakes that the Conservative government made in churning through prime ministers probably do need to give their head a gentle wobble.”
MPs have shifted from speculating about Starmer’s removal to discussing how a leadership contest might be triggered, including timelines and mechanisms.
During the interview, Trevor Phillips asked Alexander about Starmer’s indication that he might want to ban repeated pro-Palestinian marches and whether chants like “globalise the intifada” or “from the river to the sea” would be made illegal.
Alexander responded:
“We have actually changed the law this week to give the police more powers to deal with protests,”
She added that Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood has commissioned Lord Ken Macdonald to review protests, with findings to be reported back to her. Alexander did not specify whether laws would be changed to outlaw chanting “globalise the intifada.”
Earlier in the week, Starmer called for police to prosecute people chanting “globalise the intifada” during demonstrations, despite criticism that this could infringe on freedom of speech.
Intifada is an Arabic word meaning uprising or “shaking off.” Many use the phrase to express solidarity with Palestinians resisting Israeli occupation, while some Jewish groups and leaders view it as a call to violence.
The phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” refers to the land between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea. Critics say it calls for Israel’s destruction, while supporters say it advocates for Palestinian freedom and justice as equal citizens.
Israel’s war on Gaza, which health officials report has killed at least 72,610 people, has been classified as genocide by human rights groups and scholars. The conflict began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostage.
Polanski's 'abhorrent' response to Golders Green attack shows he is unfit to 'lead a political party', minister says
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described Zack Polanski’s retweet suggesting police used excessive force during the Golders Green attack arrest as “disgusting” and “absolutely abhorrent,” stating he is not “fit to lead a political party.”
Polanski had shared a post on X alleging officers “repeatedly and violently kicked a mentally ill man in the head” while he was incapacitated by a stun gun.
The Green Party leader later apologized after public criticism from the Metropolitan Police chief, who said Polanski’s actions undermined officers’ confidence in handling dangerous situations.
Alexander told :
“I thought it was disgusting what he did and absolutely abhorrent. Those police officers ran towards danger, they were armed only with a Taser that they had already discharged. The guy still had a knife in his hand. They were armed with their courage and their training.
And I think for the leader of a political party to jump onto Twitter, start retweeting content criticising 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.”
Essa Suleiman, 45, has been charged with attempted murder after stabbing two Jewish men on Wednesday in Golders Green, north London. He is also charged with attempted murder related to an earlier attack that day in south London during a personal dispute. On Thursday, the UK’s terror threat level was raised to severe.
Following the attack, the government announced increased funding for protecting Jewish communities and plans to enhance powers against antisemitic preachers. However, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has faced criticism for perceived insufficient action following a series of antisemitic attacks.
