UK Green Party leader Zack Polanski has defended his support for imprisoned Palestinian leader Marwan Barghouti after being targeted by pro-Israel activists over a T-shirt bearing the slogan “Free Marwan”, telling The New Arab that Barghouti was denied a fair trial and remains a symbol of Palestinian self-determination.
Polanski’s comments came after pro-Israel activists launched a backlash against him on social media after photographs emerged showing him wearing a “Free Marwan” T-shirt, a reference to Barghouti, one of the most prominent Palestinian political figures of the past three decades.
The image was quickly seized upon by pro-Israel commentators, who sought to portray Polanski’s support for Barghouti as an endorsement of violence.
“What really unsettles critics isn’t the shirt. It’s the idea that Palestinians might have a leader capable of uniting their people and leading the fight for liberation from apartheid the same way Nelson Mandela did,” Polanski told The New Arab.