A 62-year-old man has been arrested after performing Nazi salutes at a Green Party rally in Hastings, Sussex Police confirmed. The incident occurred on Thursday as Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who is Jewish, addressed a crowd of supporters ahead of local elections.
The rally was disrupted by a group of agitators who unfurled a Reform UK flag and a St George's Cross flag, and used a megaphone to speak over Polanski. One man, standing with the flag-holders, performed at least three Nazi salutes, witnessed by The Independent and captured on camera.
Sussex Police arrested the man on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence. He remains in custody. The force appealed for witnesses and information about the incident, which was also shared by the group Stand Up To Racism on social media.
Polanski had been speaking about the double stabbing in Golders Green the previous day, which he described as 'horrific'. He said: 'It is a politics that rejects antisemitism... When they come for one of us, I say this as a Jewish man, they come for all of us.'
A Green Party spokesperson condemned the harassment, stating Polanski faces antisemitic abuse 'far too often'. Reform UK described the salute as 'abhorrent' and said the individual had no connection to the party.
