The Green party leader, Zack Polanski, has been publicly and strongly rebuked by Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley for sharing a social media post that criticized officers involved in the arrest of a terror suspect in Golders Green, north-west London. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, saw two Jewish people stabbed, prompting police to treat it as terrorism. The suspect, identified as 45-year-old Essa Suleman, who reportedly has a history of serious violence and mental health issues, was subdued using a stun gun.

Polanski retweeted, without personal comment, a post on X (formerly Twitter) accusing the officers at the scene of "repeatedly and violently kicking a mentally ill man in the head" after he was already incapacitated by a Taser. This action sparked immediate and widespread criticism, with Commissioner Rowley describing the retweet as amplifying "inaccurate and misinformed commentary" from "armchair critics" who show "casual disregard for the incredibly challenging and dangerous work police officers do to protect the public."

In a public letter addressed to Polanski, released by Scotland Yard, Sir Mark Rowley passionately defended his officers, hailing their actions as "nothing short of extraordinary." He emphasized that their swift response undoubtedly prevented further injury and saved lives. Rowley detailed the perilous situation, stating that officers confronted a dangerous man they believed to be a terrorist, who refused to show his hands, was violent, and continued to pose a clear threat, with officers fearing he might be concealing an explosive device. "Apprehending violent and dangerous criminals is a full-contact and messy task which may appear shocking to observers with little experience of policing in the real world," Rowley wrote, underlining the harsh realities of police work.

The Commissioner also highlighted the severe impact of Polanski's actions on public trust and officer morale, particularly given the heightened tensions and fear within London's Jewish communities who have experienced a series of targeted attacks. "Your decision to criticise these officers, using your public profile and reach, will have a chilling effect," Sir Mark stated, adding that such commentary undermines officer confidence to act decisively. He stressed the importance of political leaders showing solidarity, condemning horrific attacks, confronting antisemitism, lowering tensions, and backing those who protect the public.

Polanski's retweet drew fire from across the political spectrum. Tory MP Neil O'Brien, Labour's Jonathan Hinder, and Home Office minister Mike Tapp were among those who criticized the Green leader, accusing him of sympathizing with the suspected terrorist rather than the brave police officers and victims. Labour MP David Taylor questioned how anyone could watch the Golders Green video and not feel proud of the police's response to an attacker who would not release his knife.

While a Green party source indicated that Polanski "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 party had earlier released a statement condemning the Golders Green attack as an "appalling act of antisemitic violence" and expressing solidarity with the British Jewish community. The UK terrorism threat level has since been raised to 'severe', indicating an attack is 'highly likely'.