Green Party leader Zack Polanski has said he would discourage pro-Palestine protesters from using the chant “globalise the intifada”, but warned against specifically outlawing the phrase or banning a planned protest in London later this month. Speaking on the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg programme, Polanski argued that outlawing the chant would overly restrict freedom of speech.
Polanski’s comments come after Keir Starmer called for “tougher action” against marchers using the chant, following an attack on Jewish people in Golders Green. The Metropolitan Police already have a policy of arresting people who chant “globalise the intifada”, but Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said any further action would await an ongoing review of protest laws.
Polanski reiterated his apology for sharing a post on X that criticised police over the arrest of a suspect in the Golders Green stabbings. He said he remained concerned about footage showing officers appearing to kick the man, but acknowledged that social media was not the appropriate forum to raise the issue. He plans to discuss the matter privately with Met Commissioner Mark Rowley.
Asked if he agreed with Starmer that the chant was racist, Polanski said: “No, I don’t think that’s correct. I think it’s important that we make sure that we have freedom of speech in this country and freedom of protest.” He added that he did not believe “policing people’s language” would make Jewish people safer, though he would not encourage use of the phrase.
Alexander said it was right for police to take action against protests that were “intimidating a particular community”. The decision on whether to ban a planned pro-Gaza protest on 16 May is an operational matter for police, she said, while any outright ban on the chant would follow a review by former director of public prosecutions Ken Macdonald.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch called for all pro-Gaza marches to be stopped, saying they were “creating a climate that is normalising hatred towards Jews”. However, she opposed banning a march planned for the same day by far-right agitator Tommy Robinson, arguing it was not clear who that march targeted.
