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Reform UK calls for arrest of Green Party leader over guillotine image
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Reform UK has reported Green Party leader Zack Polanski to the police over an Instagram photo showing a man wearing a T-shirt with a guillotine and the text 'We're only making plans for Nigel,' a reference to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. Reform UK politician Zia Yusuf called the post 'incitement to murder,' noting it came just over two weeks after the killing of former minister and Reform UK spokesperson Ann Widdecombe. The Green Party stated Polanski 'condemns the image' and said he shared a post without noticing the additional images. Farage commented that if he published something similar, he would expect arrest. Police are reviewing the incident. Widdecombe was found dead on July 9, having been struck 21 times with a hammer; a 28-year-old has been charged with murder.
Source report
Zack Polanski is the leader of the Green Party. Source: WireImage/Samir Hussein
The British right-wing party Reform UK has contacted police over a photo shared by Green Party leader Zack Polanski, which features a guillotine and a reference to Reform leader Nigel Farage. Reform UK has reported the incident, leading party politician Zia Yusuf said on the online service X on Monday.
Yusuf described the publication as "incitement to murder." It came just over two weeks after the killing of former British minister and Reform UK spokesperson Ann Widdecombe.
"If Zack Polanski is not in police custody by this time tomorrow, the police have opened the hunt on members of parliament," Yusuf wrote, among other things.
The Image in Question
The photo shared by Polanski on Instagram showed a man making a victory sign and wearing a T-shirt with a guillotine and the words "We're only making plans for Nigel." The phrase is a line from a 1979 song by the British rock band XTC.
The British Green Party stated that Polanski "condemns the image." He confirmed sharing a post with multiple photos without noticing it contained additional images he had not seen before.
Reactions and Criticism
"If a Reform party candidate on the city council were to threaten a left-wing politician with death, it would be headlines across the country for days," Yusuf argued. "The leader of a major left-wing party does this to the leader of Reform UK, and it gets little attention."
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage commented on the incident, saying: "If I were to publish something similarly inflammatory, I would expect to be arrested, and so should Polanski."
Police Review Underway
The photo was part of a series of images published by a freelance photographer from an event Polanski attended in Bristol on Sunday. The post was edited on Monday and the controversial image removed.
The police stated on the online service X that they are reviewing the incident. Farage has repeatedly expressed concerns about his personal safety.
Background: Widdecombe Killing
Reform politician Ann Widdecombe was found dead in her home in Devon, southwest England, on July 9. According to the public prosecutor's office, the 78-year-old was hit on the head 21 times with a hammer. A 28-year-old has been charged with murder.
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Reform UK Reports Green Party Leader Over Guillotine Image of Farage