Full Breakdown
Green Party Leader Apologises After Sharing Controversial Post on Golders Green Police Action
5/2/2026, 2:38:42 AM
Incident Overview
Green Party leader Zack Polanski apologised on Friday after retweeting an X post that accused Metropolitan Police officers of repeatedly kicking a suspect in the head after he was tasered during the Golders Green terror incident. The post prompted criticism from police, the prime minister and members of Polanski’s own party.
Background
On Wednesday, two Jewish men were stabbed in Golders Green, north London, in a knife attack by 45-year-old Essa Suleiman, later charged with attempting to kill Shloime Rand and Norman Shine. Police confronted the armed suspect, ordered him to drop his knife, deployed a taser and detained him. Body-worn footage released by the Met shows officers shouting commands before the taser was used.
Key Figures
Zack Polanski, Green Party leader, has headed the party since September 2023. Sir Mark Rowley condemned the shared post as inaccurate and warned it could chill officer confidence. Sir Keir Starmer called the retweet disgraceful. Within the Greens, Welsh leader Anthony Slaughter criticised the post, while deputy leader Rachel Millward praised the officers.
Official Statements & Responses
Sir Mark Rowley wrote to Polanski, calling the post inaccurate and warning it could chill police morale. He defended the officers’ force as reasonable given the suspect’s possible explosive, citing body-worn footage of commands before the taser. Sir Keir Starmer, in a BBC interview, called the retweet disgraceful and stressed the split-second decisions officers face. Polanski’s apology said leadership must lower tensions and that police actions should be reviewed in proper forums.
Criticism & Opposition
Welsh Greens leader Anthony Slaughter said the retweet was inappropriate, while deputy leader Rachel Millward praised the officers as brave. Former Home Secretary Grant Shapps called Polanski’s intervention disgraceful. Sir Keir Starmer and Sir Mark Rowley also condemned the post, citing concerns about undermining police confidence.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The X post alleged officers repeatedly kicked the suspect after he was tasered and described him as mentally ill. Met footage shows officers issuing commands and using a taser before attempting to disarm him, with no clear visual evidence of the alleged kicks.
Verbatim Quotes
"Everyone in leadership has a responsibility for lowering the temperature at a time of such tension, and I apologise for sharing a tweet in haste." — Zack Polanski, Green Party leader
"I am disappointed because it is this kind of inaccurate and misinformed commentary ... that undermines officer confidence to act." — Sir Mark Rowley, Metropolitan Police Commissioner
"When I then see Zack Polanski come out and retweet or support a criticism of that, I think it’s disgraceful." — Sir Keir Starmer, Prime Minister
What's Next
Polanski has invited Sir Mark Rowley to meet and discuss the police response. The controversy coincides with upcoming local elections in Scotland, Wales and England, where the Greens aim to increase their vote share.
