𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Zack Polanski said he was “traumatised” by footage of police tackling the Golders Green suspect. The Green Party leader was grilled on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on the row he sparked when he criticised officers for kicking the alleged attacker while arresting him.

He has since issued a half-hearted apology for “sharing a tweet in haste” following an intense backlash, including from the head of the Met Police. Speaking this morning, Mr Polanski said: “Two things can be true at the same time: officers are incredibly brave when they run towards scenes of crimes that most people, including myself, will want to run away from.

“At the same time, I think it is accurate, and that I was also traumatised by seeing someone handcuffed and repeatedly kicked in the head.”

Mr Polanski also admitted he was wrong to describe himself as a Red Cross spokesperson.

The Greens leader made the false claim as he campaigned to become the party’s deputy leader back in 2022.

Asked about the claim, he said: “I hosted various fundraisers for the British Red Cross, and indeed, I would go on stage and speak for them about the amazing work they do tackling humanitarian crises, on the climate crisis, and indeed, for refugees all around the world.

“I used the wrong word, and I accept that, but I would essentially take words on stage with me and speak.

“It’s important, though, and I accept this, that they don’t support any political party, and I’ve made sure that’s been taken down.”

He also defended his party’s pledge to legalise drugs, saying: “The war on drugs has clearly failed.

“It has failed in cities right across this country, and more and more people are often taking dangerous drugs.

“So, do we want people to buy them on the black market or on street corners. Or do we want people to go to a pharmacy or a medical health professional where, if they have an addiction to dangerous drugs, we can work with them to take a public health approach based on harm reduction.”