Wales Greens Leader Criticizes Polanski for Sharing Golders Green Post
The leader of the Wales Green Party has publicly criticised Zack Polanski, who leads the party in England, for sharing a social media post that condemned the police's handling of the Golders Green attack.
During the incident, two officers used Tasers and kicked the suspect in the head while attempting to disarm him after he stabbed two Jewish men in the north London neighbourhood.
Polanski reposted a message on X stating:
"Essentially his officers were repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head when he was already incapacitated by Taser."
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley expressed his disappointment with Polanski’s actions, while Wales Greens leader Anthony Slaughter described the retweet as "inappropriate." Slaughter made these remarks during a live debate on LBC radio featuring all six leaders of the main parties in Wales ahead of the Senedd election.
Earlier the same day, Sir Mark wrote a letter to Polanski expressing his disappointment that the politician had amplified "inaccurate and misinformed commentary" by sharing a post critical of the police response to the Golders Green attack.
The Metropolitan Police stated that the officers involved were unarmed and believed the suspect might have been carrying an explosive device. Even after being Tasered, the suspect refused to show his hands, remained violent, and continued to pose a clear threat.
The Met released footage from officers’ body-worn cameras capturing the moments before and during the arrest. The officers can be heard repeatedly ordering the suspect to "get down on the ground" before deploying the Taser and then instructing him to "drop the knife."
Video circulated on social media appeared to show officers kicking the man in the head multiple times during the struggle to remove the knife.
Responses to the Incident and Polanski’s Post
Responding to Sir Mark’s letter, a Green Party spokesperson told the BBC:
"Zack has seen the video like everyone else - and doesn't know the full picture and knows it was a very difficult situation for the authorities - but we do need to understand more about the response."
The attacks on the Jewish community were discussed during the live LBC radio debate featuring leaders of the Wales Green Party, Welsh Labour, Reform UK Wales, Plaid Cymru, and the Welsh Liberal Democrats.
Anthony Slaughter told presenter Iain Dale:
"I was made aware of this on the way here, just shortly beforehand. I haven't seen the tweet. I understand, as you say, Zack retweeted a tweet that it does seem, from what I've read, was inappropriate to retweet.
"I know that Zack and his other colleagues in the London Assembly do work closely with the Met Police, so there will be discussions afterwards to see what went wrong and how this can be better handled in future."
The Green Party has been asked to comment further on Slaughter’s remarks.
Concerns Raised by Other Welsh Party Leaders
Welsh Conservative leader Darren Millar expressed serious concerns about anti-Semitism and the education system in Wales. He said:
"I'm afraid that some of our universities have become hotbeds of anti-semitism.
"I think it's a disgrace that some of universities here in Wales have not adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of anti-semitism."
Millar also noted that members of the Jewish community in Wales had raised concerns about certain school textbooks, particularly those addressing the Middle East conflict, questioning whether these materials might contribute to anti-Jewish sentiment.
Welsh Labour’s First Minister Eluned Morgan stated her government has been "very serious" about promoting community cohesion but criticised other parties for fostering division. She said:
"That's our interest. I think there are other parties here tonight notably Reform, who are interested in creating divisions in our communities and that is not the kind of Wales I want to see in the future."
Reform UK Wales leader Dan Thomas responded to Morgan’s comment, saying:
"I find that really surprising because everyone on this panel knows that I used to be a councillor in Golders Green area where this happened.
"I know this community really well. They've been living for decades in fear."
Plaid Cymru’s Rhun ap Iorwerth expressed solidarity with the Jewish community of Golders Green. He said he had spoken with a member of Cardiff’s Jewish community and emphasised the need for adequate investment to support communities feeling threatened, including Jewish, Muslim, and other religious or minority groups.
Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds called for unity among Welsh party leaders and urged increased security measures if necessary to protect those who feel scared and fearful. She said:
"It's time for everybody to come together and speak with one voice as Welsh party leaders" and "step up security if necessary" to protect people who are "scared and fearful."
Voters in Wales are scheduled to go to the polls next Thursday to elect 96 new Members of the Senedd (MSs).
