THE UK Government’s rhetoric after a terror attack in Manchester has been branded as “deeply irresponsible” by Green Party leader Zack Polanski.
Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood took aim at demonstrations across the UK – held to protest the Israeli navy intercepting a flotilla carrying aid to Gaza – in the wake of the terror attack which took the lives of two men at a synagogue in Manchester
She branded them as “fundamentally un-British”, adding that demonstrators should “step back” from plans to hold marches in coming days, claiming this would show “some love and some solidarity” with the UK’s Jewish community following the attack.
Polanski, who is Jewish and from Manchester, was asked on Sky News whether he believes Mahmood has a point.
“No, I think Shabana Mahmood is also being deeply irresponsible,” he replied.
“I think, ultimately, conflating protests against the genocide in Gaza and ultimately weaponising that against an anti-Semitic attack on our streets – a terrorist attack – is deeply irresponsible.”
The Green Party leader, speaking as his party’s conference gets underway today, added: “Democratic non-violent protest is a cornerstone of our democracy, and I think it's worrying when governments are increasingly trying to crush down dissent and using what is a brutal attack that all of us in the Jewish community are feeling very deeply to try and use that to point at a protest and say people don't have a right to also speak out against the genocide.”
Polanski went on: “It's conflating issues, it's incoherent, and it's exactly the opposite of what we need from politicians. We need statesmanship at this moment. We need responsibility. We need people to be sensitive about that language, but also recognize that there is complexity to this, and it can't just be about finger-pointing at people who are very worried about the genocide.”
Zarah Sultana, meanwhile, echoed a similar sentiment on X: "You can protest against Israel’s genocide in Gaza and unequivocally condemn the antisemitic terror attack in Manchester. Don’t let politicians or the media tell you that you can’t do both."
The London Metropolitan police, meanwhile, have written to protest group Defend Our Juries, which plans to hold a march in London on Saturday, asking that it does not go ahead with it following the Crumpsall attack.
A letter from the force shared by Defend Our Juries raised concerns about the amount of police resources the protest would divert at a time when “visible reassurance and protective security” is needed in communities across London.
But the protest group, which has led demonstrations against the terrorist ban on Palestine Action, said it planned to go ahead with the march.
A statement from Defend Our Juries posted on social media site X said: “Today, the Metropolitan Police wrote to us to ask that we postpone Saturday’s mass protest in Trafalgar Square, citing ‘significant pressure on policing’.
“Our response in short: Don’t arrest us then.”
Another march on October 11, by the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, is expected to end outside of the gates of Downing Street.
Mahmood said she wanted protesters to think again about their plans to hold forthcoming marches.
She told GB News: “As far as I am concerned, I would have wanted to see people in this country step back from protesting for at least a few days, just to give the Jewish community here a chance to process what has happened and to begin the grieving process as well.
“I am very disappointed that some of the organisers haven’t heeded the call to step back.
“I would still call on people to show some love and some solidarity to the families of those who have been murdered and to our Jewish community.”
Speaking to LBC, Mahmood later added: “I don’t think they do their cause any favours by behaving in this way.
“If the point of protest is to stand up for something and persuade other people that you are right, then I think this is entirely the wrong way to go about it, but that is on their conscience.”
