Trevor Phillips, ever the New Labour and neoliberal apologist, interviewed Green Party leader Zack Polanski on Sky this morning and aggressively sought an answer to this question:
What were you thinking when you reposted an item on X criticising the Metropolitan police officers who had just arrested a man who had attacked two Jewish people?
The tone was accusatory. The subtext was clearly that Phillips was asking Polanski whether he (himself a Jew) was an antisemite?
There are several points to make.
The first is that Phillips did not frame the question in the context of the man arrested also having attacked Muslim that day. Only Jews apparently matter to the media and Phillips, and that is itself antisemitic framing.
Secondly, Phillips effectively endorsed Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley when making the comment, implying that this was an operational matter and beyond political questioning, when the police are public servants, necessarily subject to political control and scrutiny. Rowley's comment was dangerously far down a fascist path by suggesting the police are beyond that, and Phillips seemed to be going in the same direction.
Thirdly, what Polanski thought should have been obvious to anyone with an iota of sense, compassion or even just understanding of what they were seeing. We saw two Met officers approach a man, stunned and lying on the ground, obviously unable to resist arrest and equally obviously unable to release the knife he held because the tasers used on him would have prevented his nervous system from reacting to that command (as the police should have known), then being kicked forcefully and with venom in the head (a targett that was clearly deliberately chosen) with all the possible injurious consequences of that. I suspect Zack Polanski had three names in mind, as I did, when watching this. They are those of George Floyd, Renée Nicole Good and Alex Pretti.
They all died as a result of unacceptable and violent police action during the course of arrest. My first thought when viewing the video was that I hoped both police officers would be charged for their conduct - and I still think they should be.
And don't accuse me of being an antisemite for thinking that. I refuse to be called or be any such thing. I call it out when I see it. I always condemn it. I always will. And don't tell me I don't know what I am talking about. I grew up with a very obvious Irish surname in the 70s. I know what discrimination against someone who is white on the grounds of their ethnicity can feel like. I saw, in particular, the impact this had on my father and the fear it created. I have enormous sympathy for those suffering antisemitism now.
But that does not in any way justify police kicking a man already down, and stunned into submission, repeatedly in the head.
It does not justify the Met Police Commissioner publicly criticising a politician questioning what looked like excessive police violence, something which has a long history in this country, much of it racist. The day we cannot do that, we really do have a police state. Is that what Rowley wants?
And it does not justify the neoliberal establishment seeking to use this as a mechanism to attack Zack Polanski because he might expose their many failings, which they would rather he did not do.
The only mistake Polanski has made is in not explaining this well enough, although he did a good job defending himself this morning, making clear that his questions remain and he will be raising them, just not on X, the use of which is all that he has apologised for, and rightly so.
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Thank you for saying this. In a sane world it would be possible to be against both people being knifed and police kicking a detainee in the head.
I’m not sure that words convey the violence of the two policemen. The video is on Canary here, second clip down (if it’s OK to give the link). It is shocking: https://www.thecanary.co/skwawkbox/2026/05/01/polanski-golders-green-apology/
I didn’t see the interview with Polanksi, but I doubt that the video was shown. It is vital for context.
I have just seen the video, it horrific, any sane person seeing it would be shocked at the brutality . Since when was repeatedly kicking a man in the head appropriate use of force. Zach Polanski was right to challenge this. The pile on against Polanski seems to be the excuse they have been looking for.
My partner is black and her reaction was – that’s typical of police brutality experienced by black people and other minorities over many years in the UK. A recent example is footballer Dalian Atkinson, where a policeman was jailed for unlawful killing him by kicking him in the head after he’d been tasered.
It is entirely right to question this but as you say don’t make unforced errors that give opponents ammunition.
Polanski is also being targeted with the same antisemitism smears deployed against Corbyn but being Jewish the blows aren’t landing with the same force, but sadly he’s showing signs of caving like Corbyn. I’m not bothered with candidates whose comments, mainly anti-Zionist, were made while thousands of children were killed by Israel. Antisemitism manifests as hostile actions against all Jews, not by comments made by people who are anti-racist.
Zack not Zach.
Thanks
And edited
My error
A most welcome comment as far as I am concerned.
But I am glad and hope that Polanski – who has not put a finger wrong up to now – has learnt from this. He needs to.
The real issue is our useless ‘care in the community’ bollocks as far as I am concerned.
As for Trev…..well members of his own community have terms for what he is up to don’t they?
Well said Richard. When I started out in the legal profession I used to conduct police prosecutions and the stories I was told by senior detectives used to horrify me. Without going into detail, I was told with a degree of troubling pride by a senior colleague how the police “caught” the Birmingham Six. It shook my faith in the integrity of the police beyond repair. It troubled me so much that I wrote to Chris Mullin (who was then leading the campaign to have their convictions overturned) to inform him about what I had been told. To his credit he did reply personally and shared his view that he hoped they would one day be released (as thankfully happened ). It is importantly to state that I was a sixth form schoolboy born and growing up in Birmingham at the time. I even recall the sounds of the explosions and the confusion on the local radio station (BRMB) as events unfolded that night. Consequently I wanted to believe that the West Midlands police were beyond reproach. One (reliable) story by a colleague who was at the heart of the investigation simply shattered my belief in the integrity of the police. Most police officers I came across were good, decent people doing a very difficult job but there were (and are) some thoroughly bad apples. It saddens me that Polanski’s reasonable question has encountered such hostility. It also saddens me that the Met Commissioner who, like me, is from Birmingham has ventured into the political arena. Perhaps he ought to take a moment to think about Sarah Everard and ask himself whether the Met has really changed or should be beyond criticism.
Thank you
Mr E – if I may pick up on the “but there were (and are) some thoroughly bad apples”. This is often used with respect to the police (& other orgs). The full expression is “one bad apple can spoil the barrel” the problem with contamination is that sometimes it is not obvious. This is why, for example, there is persistent racism, misogyny, violence by the Met Police (& many other forces). The obvious bad apples are removed but there are still plenty of ones that are contaminated.
In the case of the violence committed by the police whist arresting a man with a knife – I would not like to have done this – risky, but there were two of them, they both had anit-stab vests (clue in the word “anti-stab”) and one would have thought that they had training “today lads we will practise disarming a bloke holding a knife that has been tasered, no Jones we don’t kick ‘im in the ‘ead”. Apparently not. Over to you Met Police.
The Met Police newsroom online shows many press releases about officers being dismissed for their behaviour – usually misdemeanours of a sexual nature, but all sorts including colluding with criminals.
I was married to a police officer many years ago and know that there is a culture of racism in the force(s). I would hope that has improved with the years but with racism being continually permitted by the dangerous rhetoric of Reform, the media and many other extremists (I consider some of the mainstream media extreme, including the Mail and Telegraph), I doubt it. It was to the point where they did not like to park next to black or Asian people.
People are being thoroughly groomed on social media. This includes the Robinson-style belief that there is a global Islamic plan to take over Europe and force Sharia law on the people.
No wonder we are seeing policemen brutalise senseless, prostrate people.
I couldn’t agree more with your view Richard.I was very disappointed when Zac appeared to back down on that issue, but perhaps in fairness he should not have posted it on social media until after he made a formal complaint.
It was an illegal disproportionate attack on an incapacitated person. The police officers should be charged with assault. The chief constable should be disciplined for his inappropriate statement.
As for accusations of antisemitism based on condemnation of the genocide in Palestine the first time I was accused I was shocked and upset. Now I just make a cash donation, in the name of my accuser, to one of the many charities supporting Palistine. I think that there is a real danger of the label “antisemite”becoming a badge of honour rather than what it should be, the mark of a racist bigot.
I had not seen the video until this morning. Any preconceived ideas I had about the police action (based purely on Rowley’s response and Zack’s apology) pales into insignificance compared to the disgust I now feel. This to me was wanton brutality out of all proportion to the situation. Any one of those kicks could have killed; summary execution is never justice as we understand it.
If we don’t have the right to question the actions of our police, the main representative of state power and the rule of law, then we are in big trouble. In this case there may have been good reason for the level of violence, which the police have explained. Polanski questioning should not be a scandal. But, trust our press to miss the point entirely in pursuit of a narrative.
I agree 100 per cent with you on this.
I’m surprised that the media have taken the line of supporting brutality by the police. I’d have expected them to go the other way and support Zack Polanski’s reaction to the distressing scenes in the video.
Three or four years ago, this would have been the case, I have no doubt. It seems now that the media reaction is dependent not on the incident, but on who is commenting on it.
If Zack had been supportive of police brutality, I fear he would still have found himself at odds with Trevor Phillips. They are out to discredited the Green Party and no holes are barred. Watch out, Zack.
As I posted on Mastodon yesterday, kicks to the head carry the risk of life-changing injuries, if not death. Such incidents should be treated with the same seriousness as a firearms discharge — suspension from duty while the incident is investigated. It is possible that the police response was justified, but that should not be the automatic conclusion.
In days of yore, such police violence would have drawn calls for an investigation from politicians of all parties. It is sad that the Overton window has slid so far to the right that such overreach is now met only with a shrug by many in the mainstream.
Much to agree with.
I didn’t see the interview with Phillips but I did see Laura Kuenssberg trying the same tactic. Polanski stood up for himself well, managing to make his points without backtracking or appearing defensive. He’s learned from Corbyn’s experience. I’m optimistic that the media’s relentless search for a ‘gotcha’ moment will backfire.
Oddly enough she didn’t show the footage in question, or mention the third victim attacked earlier the same day although it gets a line on the accompanying story on the BBC news site.
The attack by the police was so violent they blur the image and the officer’s identity on the BBC and yet we are not allowed to question it.
As far as I am aware the person concerned was very very lucky that Armed Response hadn’t arrived – in which case he could have ended up dead. I also understand that Shomrim the Jewish ‘Security’ might have been involved and who wear Police style uniform.
If I was to make a wider comment there have been a few cases where the Police have – potentially over stepped the mark. The most obvious one being the 15 year old girl who was strip searched – and whose school stood by and let it happen.
The issue that I can see very often is The Police being called for what often isnt necessarily a Police matter and is rather a mental health/school/whatever and instead of saying ‘Not us’ or passing it on to other services – even if they either assist or remain on the scene to provide support and assistance.
We dont know the details yet but looking at what happened with Valdo Calocane even if the officers involved had overstepped the mark there must be a strong suspicion that they might not have found themselves facing a knifemen if there had been better mental health services.
Let’s stand back
They had no idea who he was except he was black, had been successfully tasered, and had been rendered physically incapacitated as a result. The only remaining question is why did they need to kick him, repeatedly in the head? I can see no answer to that, at all.
“The only remaining question is why did they need to kick him, repeatedly in the head? I can see no answer to that”
He still had hold of the knife.. there is your answer
I addressed that issue. A tasered person cannot release their hand. And in no way can they also use it. Kicking in the head did not change that.
It seems that these days, the police are allowed to be as emotional and irrational as the rest of us. But this how fascist societies are isn’t it? Imagining the worst is enough to justify the worst in response, pre-empted as well.
‘Reading Eva Wiseman in the Observer today. Talking to one Rabbi, they think that it has nothing to do with Israel’s treatment of Gaza and it is just ages old hatred resurfacing.
I am not so sure about that. I am not sure how many English Jews speak up for Gaza and write to Netanyahou asking him not to make their lives harder. The Zionists would just say ‘Come to Israel, we’re enlarging it for you’ anyway. Angry revenge attacks cannot be so easily discounted in such a joined up world as ours.
But why do Jews get picked on? My view is because of austerity. The lesson we were supposed to have learnt from the Nazis was that economic hardship increases the risk of the thin veneer of civilisation breaking down and certain groups being picked on. Jews, Muslims are groups who stick together but are distinct. This cohesiveness causes jealousy and resentment amongst other groups who are in the process of being thrown to the wolves by their government.
Starmer is also in today’s Observer talking up togetherness whilst having done too little to deal with austerity and the cost of living. Weasel words again.
Wiseman’s Rabbi is therefore right. But it is Starmer the supposed arch Zionist who is ignorant of history and is helping to fuel anti-Semitism by not making life better for everyone.
The ignorance of history here is simply unforgiveable in my view.
looking again at the video in Andrew R’s post, I am not convinced that is police issue uniform. In particular, I think the footwear appears unusual.
“First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.”
They have ignored the Greens, they have laughed at the Greens, now they attack the Greens.
Next week is the local elections.
Absolutely. An excellent, powerful piece.
If I may augment with two points, regards:
1) Police training, and
2) Our Zionist influenced establishment is keen to conflate anti-semitism with anti-zionism to debilitate opposition to Israel.
Firstly, five kicks to the head should render instant dismissal. That occurrence, along with many other violent encounters I know of, convince me that Police recruitment vetting processes are inadequate and that the training of British, especially the Metropolitan, police in this country is a disgrace. We can only hope that Israel is not involved in our police training as the IDF very much is in the USA.
Secondly. All genuine anti-semitism, like any racism, is unacceptable and disgraceful. Herzl’s settler-colonising Zionism arose because antisemitism was common in Europe, unlike in the Levant. Notably in 1979, Iran imposed a ‘fatwa’ (an edict) protecting Iranian Jews, even ensuring parliament representation. But this April, Jews there suffered a major ‘antisemitic’ attack when Israel bombed an Iranian synagogue.
To the point, our establishment is wedded to Israel, through secret service & military links (Eg. 600+ RAF flights out of Cyprus over Gaza during the genocide), and through many 100s of pro-Zionist agencies in the UK. 9 months ago, Lions led by Donkeys’ highlighted the problem of UK Lawyers for Israel; a demo at their offices. But our establishment’s messaging Media (eg. Daily Mail; Sky, etc.) constantly seeks to trumpet antisemitism – without addressing: Israel as perpetrator of war crimes – while shutting down the Palestinian protest. Phillips showed that. So too, the English justice system as exemplified in the latest, excellent report by Craig Murray.
https://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2026/05/the-morass-of-injustice/
May I suggest: Antisemitism is a disgrace but non-violent anti-Zionism should be a duty.
If you think that Rowley overstepped the mark in writing the way he did to Polanski you can make a complaint to the Independent Office of Police Conduct. There’s a suggested template here: The police just interfered in democracy
Thank you
The police MUST remain professional and detached no matter who has committed a crime or what the crime might have been.
The Police are our servants. They represent us ..risk their lives for us but they do not have carte blanche to take the law into their own hands. I switched on the television and saw a man being attacked ( was unaware of what had gone on before) and saw two men kicking another man in the head ..he was lying on the ground. I was shocked that no-one was helping this man…then I realised in horror that the men doing the ‘kicking’ were police officers. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Then I heard what had happened and why the policemen were continuing to attack the third man…after tasering him. The policemen looked like thugs and acted like it…much like the man they were attacking. ( it was not an arrest..it was an attack) My best friend in school was the daughter of a jewish woman..I am not anti semitic..I am telling you what I saw on the television that day…and it reminded me of the old films of Nazi attacks on Jews just before and during WW2. And the world looks on….
Thank you
They are headlining the Polanski episode because they think it will damage the Green vote next week. BBC as expected repeating downright lies by Rowley, Badenoch , Starmer – the Gaza peace marches have never ever been routed past synagogues <p>
Nor have they been ‘hate marches’ . I have been on several. They have been passionate but peaceful and always with hundreds of Jews marching behind their banners.- The slogans shouted have been ‘Free Free Palestine’ – type chants. I have never heard ‘globalise the intifada’.<p>
The police have always been very low key and apparently quite relaxed.<p>
It would seem the gloves are really off now – they really want peace marches banned, and will lie to their teeth to suggest they are ‘the root cause’ of the ‘rising tide’ of antisemitism .<p>
I don’t think they will succeed. We are colluding with the starvation, and suffering of thousands of Gazans in sewage-ridden tents, as they continue to be strafed and bombed during the ‘ceasefire’.
The Greens are just the Labour party in Birkenstocks. With a milquetoast “leader” who will venture to say some stuff and then back down.
The police are obviously primed to act violently towars the public and with encouragement from the government as repressive reactions to protest become the norm.
Our society has always treated mentally ill people horrendously.
Your opening comment is crass.
Your conclusion is right
But please do not waste time here with drivel
PSR wrote: ‘Reading Eva Wiseman in the Observer today. Talking to one Rabbi, they think that it has nothing to do with Israel’s treatment of Gaza and it is just ages old hatred resurfacing’
That I believe is at the heart of the ‘anti semitism’ problem. To my knowledge, no Jewish representative organisation, whether the Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mirvis, The Board of Deputies of British Jews, The Community Security Trust, The Jewish Chronicle or indeed Labour Friends of Israel, has publicly condemned the activities of the Netanyahu Regime, in Gaza, the West Bank and now Lebanon. Indeed the BofD suspended the membership of a group of Deputies who signed an open letter condemning the activities of the Israeli Government. Until these organisations, who claim to speak for British Jews, are seen to unequivocally condemn Israel’s actions, they will be seen as tacitly approving at best or complicit in the Genocide that is taking place. Thus every British Jew, whatever their personal views will be seen as an Zionist/Israeli supporter and damned by association, even it would seem, Zack Polanski.
And this is a disastrous outcome one for Jews in this country
Hell would need to freeze over before the Jewish Chronicle would oppose the Israeli governemnt.
not in your list but
The UK’s most senior progressive rabbis have warned that Israel’s current political direction risks becoming “incompatible with Jewish values”, while insisting that criticism of the country’s government is “a Jewish obligation” rather than an act of disloyalty.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/28/israels-direction-poses-existential-threat-to-judaism-uks-leading-progressive-rabbis-warn
The second largest and fastest expanding group (25%+) in Anglo-Jewry are Haredi Jews who generally oppose Zionism but they rarely ineract with the media or offialdom and largely ignored by the mainstream Jewish groups
The argument, where there is one, for ignoring this kind of incident is essentially he was a very bad man doing very bad things so doesn’t deserve the benefit of law or any consideration, The Jewish Chronicle published an article today making more or less that argument.
In such cases I’m reminded of this from A man for All seasons
William Roper: So, now you give the Devil the benefit of law!
Sir Thomas More: Yes! What would you do? Cut a great road through the law to get after the Devil?
William Roper: Yes, I’d cut down every law in England to do that!
Sir Thomas More: Oh? And when the last law was down, and the Devil turned ’round on you, where would you hide, Roper, the laws all being flat? This country is planted thick with laws, from coast to coast, Man’s laws, not God’s! And if you cut them down, and you’re just the man to do it, do you really think you could stand upright in the winds that would blow then? Yes, I’d give the Devil benefit of law, for my own safety’s sake!
Jewish Voice for Liberation is an organisation that has consistently opposed Zionism. It is affiliated with rabbis and religious from reform synagogue through to Orthodox. The Jewish Bloc is a sizeable presence on pro Palestine marches. No media outlet will platform or publish anything from them. Mirvis claims to represent British Jewry, but most estimate he’s representing 30-40%. Much of the mudslinging comes from non Jew Zionists, eg the ‘Jewish Chronicle’, even the Guardian. BT w my sister, who was at the time a PC, was attacked in an Oxford alley by a knife wielding football fan. She kicked him in the balls. She was suspended, received a retraining course and a senior officer interview. What I saw in the video was GBH at least. I believe an officer who did similar got 8 years.
I hope they are held to account.
I was totally shocked that Mark Rowley had Tweeted his praise of his officers conduct on Tommy Robinson’s X page.
We seem to have got to a situation where those in charge, in leadership positions can endorse potentially criminal behaviour, lie in Parliament, fabricate manifestos deliberately, protect traitors and support genocide.
We are on the precipice of a totally unnecessary conflict with Russia and an economic recession and still so few people have a clue what is happening because of a complicit media.
Thank goodness for this blog where some common sense and integrity still exist.
Did the Commissioner do what you suggest. Are you sure?
I have checked. He tagged Tommy Robinson on X which may be a shade away from posting on Robinson’s vicious diatribe, but is still making a point of reasserting his support of his offers committing grievous harm on a senseless man to one of the most far right, violent and racist agitators endangering this country.
(Apologies if this post has been repeated.)
Metropolitan Police
@metpoliceuk
·
Apr 29
Replying to @TRobinsonNewEra
Our brave officers confronted a man they believed to be a terrorist, who refused to show his hands, who was violent, and who continued to pose a clear threat. Using only their training, courage and tasers, they detained him while he continued to try to attack and stab them. This
Thank you
I have seen the interview this evening and it just confirms that our Establishment is thoroughly compromised by it’s reliance on arguments and strategies against the progressive politics and policies that our country needs, that are so transparently bad that people with a reasonable measure of awareness can see straight through them. Trevor Phillips is, frankly, a disgrace to his profession.
The re-running of the “Anti-Semitism Playbook” is a clear example of how desperate they are becoming. Thursday’s results and the following view we will have of the new political landscape should be a spur to action for all such as us.
Sorry I missed-spelt the economist’s name. It’s Mariana Mazzucato.
David Byrne adds:
In order to understand (police) brutality, we need to revisit the streets of Berlin in the late 30’s.
I suspect the streets of the USA, especially those patrolled by ICE, would serve as well.
Thank-you Richard, agreed.
1. Be in no doubt, the UK state does not want change and is determined to stop it. Starmer, Mahmoud, the police, especially the Met, the Press, the Lobby, academia, and the crooks on the far right, will use foul means or foul to get their way. They will fail.
2. Robust rebuttal and resistance works better than retreat.
3. When an alleged individual perpetrator is both mentally ill and from an ethnic minority, they will be treated with unlawful aggression and violence, and the press will maliciously report falsehoods about them, their offence and the circumstances of their arrest. (Similarly, if female)
4. The worse the injustice committed by the establishment, the more disgusting will be the cover up, the diversion and the counter attack.
5. The weaponisation of antisemitism is a well worn tactic, to both attack individuals AND to justify repressive control of the population. Call it out.
6. The reason for repeated marches over several years is because the genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes, and UK complicity haven’t yet been stopped. We didn’t stop fighting Hitler after Dunkirk, or because the Blitz was grim. We kept going, with our allies, till we defeated Hitler.
7. Israel is STILL committing war crimes against Palestinians, and Netanyahu’s government is conflating Israel’s illegal activities with worldwide Jewry. His government puts diaspora Jews in danger. The struggle is with the rogue state of Israel, not with Jews.
8. This time, they are not getting away with it.
Thank you and much to agree with
Please complain about the police violence and ask for it to be investigated and for those who kicked the Golders Green attacker in the head to be charged. I emailed Feedback@met.police.uk and got an automatic reply promising a reply in a few days.