Green Party Leader Apologizes for Reposting Police Criticism in Golders Green Stabbing

Polanski issued the apology in a statement on Friday, saying he had shared the tweet in haste and that social media is not the appropriate channel for reflecting on police responses to emergency situations.

Sir Keir Starmer called Polanski's decision to share the post disgraceful in a BBC interview recorded before the apology and set to broadcast on Saturday. Starmer said he had met the officers involved in the arrest and that in the circumstances, you could understand why the officers acted in the way that they did. He added: 'There's a guy on the ground, he's got a rucksack on.

And I don't know what was going through the mind of those officers, but if I was there, I'd be thinking, he's going to detonate something. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley criticized Polanski's repost in a letter published by the force, accusing him of amplifying inaccurate and misinformed commentary.

Rowley's letter was sent on Thursday night, and in it, he said he was disappointed in Polanski’s decision to share the post, warning that it could have a chilling effect.

Rowley stated that officers are nothing short of extraordinary and without their efforts to stop the suspect, he dreaded to think what the outcome could have been. Rowley said the officers were still shaken hours after the arrest. Polanski invited Rowley to meet to discuss the police response and wider issues raised in the letter.

The Metropolitan Police received Polanski's letter and will meet him after next week's elections. The Metropolitan Police released footage from officers' body-worn cameras showing them shouting repeatedly for the suspect to get down on the ground before he is Tasered, and then drop the knife.

Video shared on social media showed the moment of the arrest in which officers kicked the man in the head several times in the struggle to wrest a knife from him.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct received a mandatory referral from the Met on Thursday evening relating to injuries reportedly sustained by the man arrested following the attacks in Golders Green. Zack Polanski became leader of the Green Party of England and Wales last September. Anthony Slaughter, who leads the Greens in Wales, said Polanski's repost seemed inappropriate.

Green Party deputy leader Rachel Millward praised the officers as brave and said the incident would have been beyond terrifying. The Liberal Democrats accused Polanski of making a non-apology and said he should disown the comments he reposted in unambiguous terms.

Essa Suleiman, 45, has been charged with attempting to murder Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Shine, 76, in Golders Green on Wednesday morning.

Suleiman has also been charged with attempting to murder Ishmail Hussein in a knife attack at Hussein's flat in Southwark, south London, earlier on the same Wednesday. Ishmail Hussein had known Essa Suleiman for around 20 years. Suleiman faces a charge of possessing a knife in a public place in Golders Green.

Suleiman appeared in court earlier, stood to confirm his name and date of birth, but did not enter any pleas. Suleiman's case has been sent to the Old Bailey where he will next appear on 15 May for a preliminary hearing. Suleiman remains in custody.

The UK terrorism threat level was raised to severe by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre on Thursday following the terror attack in Golders Green on Wednesday. A severe level of threat means the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre believes a UK terror attack is highly likely within the next six months.

Roger Macmillan said there has been an increased threat to the Persian, British and Jewish communities since 2022.

Macmillan said there were something like 3,700 different antisemitic attacks in the UK alone last year.