Awkward! Zack Polanski goes on the campaign trail shoulder-to-shoulder with Welsh Greens leader who criticised him over Golders Green row

Ahead of the local elections, Zack Polanski embarked on the campaign trail shoulder to shoulder with the Welsh Greens leader who criticized him for his retweet about the Golders Green terror attack.

Green Party Leader Polanski, 43, faced widespread reaction after posting a post claiming that the police who intervened in the attack acted too harshly.

Shloime Rand, 34, and Moshe Ben Baila, locally called Moshe Shine, 76, were attacked by a knifeman and taken to hospital on Wednesday morning. Fortunately, it was learned that the injuries were not life-threatening.

This came just hours after the suspect allegedly attacked his friend of 20 years, Ismail Hussein, with a knife after arriving at his home in the early hours of Wednesday. Hüseyin Bey was slightly injured in the incident.

Criticism of Mr Polanski’s intervention came from members of his own party, most notably Anthony Slaughter, the Greens’ leader in Wales.

Asked about the debate on LBC this week, Mr Slaughter said: ‘I became aware of it recently on my way here. I didn’t see the tweet.

‘My understanding is, as you said, that Zack retweeted a tweet that, from what I’ve read, seemed inappropriate to retweet.

‘I know that Zack and other colleagues in the London Assembly are working closely with the Met Police, so there will be subsequent discussions to see what went wrong and how this can be handled better in the future.’

Mr. Polanski addressed supporters at St. John the Evangelist Church in the city

Despite the war of words, Mr Slaughter and Mr Polanski were campaigning together in Cardiff, Wales, today, with the party leader giving a speech at the Church of St John the Evangelist.

Mr Polanski, who is Jewish, was criticized after he reposted an online critic saying: ‘So actually he [Sir Mark Rowley’s] officers were repeatedly and violently kicking the head of a mentally ill man who had already been incapacitated by a Taser.

This led to accusations that the politician, who had previously said he wanted to be the next prime minister, was ‘more concerned’ about the welfare of the suspected terrorist than the men accused of stabbing him in the street.

Speaking on Saturday, Mr Slaughter said of Mr Polanski: ‘I think he clarified the situation and apologized, offered to meet the Met commissioner.

‘I was there (during the LBC debate) because I heard it as I was just walking in, so that was my personal feeling.

‘I can’t speak for Zack, but we think everything is clear now.

‘This is a fast-moving, scary situation; Social media moves fast.’

Mr Slaughter added: ‘Zack is the leader for now.

‘The party was already very strong, don’t get me wrong, the people who set out before laid the strong foundation.

But he is so passionate, so determined and has really stood by Wales over the years. That’s why you’re always welcome here.’

Video footage showed how two officers bravely confronted and tasered the alleged Golders Green terrorist. They then approached the man lying on the ground and repeatedly shouted at him to ‘drop the knife’ and kicked him in the head several times.

Met Police Chief Sir Mark Rowley strongly defended his officers, saying they were dealing with an armed suspect who they feared might have explosives in his rucksack as he attacked Mr Polanski.

Sir Mark described the allegations in the Green leader’s tweet as ‘inaccurate and misinformed commentary’ and added: ‘I dread to think what the outcome might have been without their efforts to stop him.’

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also condemned the Greens leader in his statement to BBC Radio 4: ‘I don’t know what was going through these police officers’ minds, but if I had been there I would have thought: He’s going to blow something up. It’s going to blow me and everyone else up here.

‘And under the circumstances, I think you can understand very well why they were thinking: We must do everything we can to neutralize this man.’

Zack Polanski retweeted a post suggesting the heroic cops who disarmed the Golders Green terrorist had a tough job

Body camera footage of terrifying incident in Golders Green shows alleged terrorist walking towards officers with knife in hand

The footage shows two Met Police officers confronting the alleged terrorist, using a stun gun on him and then kicking him while shouting at him to “drop the knife”.

A Green party candidate is seen at a rally in support of Palestine in Lewisham on Saturday.

Sir Keir added: ‘You have to make a decision at that moment based on your understanding of the situation. It’s a shame that politicians get in like Zack Polanski did. ‘He is unfit to lead any political party.’

Mr Polanski apologized for sharing the tweet ‘hastily’ but suggested the police response needed ‘consideration’.

He said on Friday: ‘Everyone in the leadership has a responsibility to lower the temperature at a time of such tension and I apologize for posting a hasty tweet.

‘Police responses to emergencies such as these need to be subsequently considered in the correct forums, but I accept that social media is not the appropriate channel to do this.

‘I invited Mark Rowley to meet with me to discuss the police response and the wider issues raised in his letter.’

Sir Mark has reportedly agreed to meet Mr Polanski after next week’s local elections.

The Welsh Senedd has been controlled by Labor, which has been the largest party at every election since its formation, but this year’s local elections look set to change the political landscape in Wales.

Polls show Plaid Cymru and Reform UK are expected to perform best when voters go to the polls on Thursday, leaving them neck and neck as they prepare to tally the votes of dissatisfied Labor supporters. However, the Greens also saw an increase in support.

The latest MRP poll for YouGov, published on 22 April, suggested that Reform was projected to take 37 seats in the Senedd – at this stage – while Plaid would take 36, Labor 12 and the Greens seven.

The Conservatives were looking at three seats, while one would go to the Liberal Democrats.

Away from the campaign trail in Wales, Green candidates were campaigning across the country.

At least one Green candidate was seen at a rally in support of Palestine in London’s Lewisham on Saturday.