ZACK Polanski's call for Palestine Action to be de-proscribed sparked huge applause and had Green members on their feet during his speech at the party's autumn conference.
The leader of the Green Party of England and Wales urged Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband to change course on the classification of Palestine Action as a terrorist group following his admission that those opposing the genocide in Gaza are "right".
Speaking to the Labour conference this week, Miliband said: “And I want to say to the millions of people in this country, and indeed elsewhere who have been moved and outraged by the plight of the Palestinian people, we hear you.
"You were right. And under Andy’s leadership, we have reset our approach.”
His comments have sparked calls for the Government to finally de-proscribe the campaign group. Thousands of people have been arrested under terror laws since the group was proscribed, with many high-profile cases of pensioners being arrested for holding signs.
Polanski took aim at Miliband and called on him to go further than the comments.
"Just a few days ago, the Foreign Secretary stood on a stage like this and said something many of us will feel vindicated by," he said.
"That those who have been raising their voices against the atrocities in Gaza were right.
"And yet as he spoke, metres away, principled people were being hauled away by the police. Their crime? Holding up signs.
"The sight of pensioners being put in handcuffs and bundled into police vans for holding up cardboard signs has been a stain on this country’s reputation for far too long."
He went on to attack hundreds of Labour MPs for voting for the proscription of the group, pointing out that Greens had not done so, instead standing up for "free speech, civil liberties and the right to dissent".
He followed up with a demand to Miliband and the UK Government: "Drop the charges.
"End the Genocide.
"Deproscribe Palestine Action."
Audience members were on their feet cheering and chanting "free Palestine".
'Make Labour move'
Elsewhere, Polanski claimed Green Party electoral victories have been pushing Labour towards a more progressive governing agenda, as he called for controls to hold down the costs of rent across England.
Polanski argued his party made a difference to Labour’s political outlook, telling members: “Vote Green and watch Labour move."
The Green leader is standing in the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary by-election, with the aim of winning the seat previously held by ex-prime minister Sir Keir Starmer from Labour for the first time in its electoral history.
He told the conference: “A few weeks ago, we heard that the Government had delayed giving the green light to new oil and gas drilling at Rosebank and Jackdaw.
“Why? Because they’re worried about losing votes to the Greens.
“That makes me hopeful, because that is the difference our party makes: Vote Green and watch Labour move.”
He added: “Voting Green, between general elections, with our six or five MPs, is the most powerful vote you can make and here’s two reasons why.
“First: More Greens in elected positions. Making the change our neighbours, our communities, so desperately need.
“And second: At general elections, the Government changes. But between general elections we change the Government.”
Focus on housing
Polanski also used his address to set out a new Green Party policy to control rises in England's private sector rents, modelled on the pensions triple lock.
This element of the speech appeared well timed as housing is a key issue in the Holborn by-election. It also comes after Germany's De Linke saw massive electoral success in Berlin with a focus on rent controls.
Polanski called for a “a three-year emergency brake on private rents”, adding: “No rent rises above CPI, wage growth or 2% – whichever is lower. No sudden hikes. No evictions under the guise of rent rises. No more uncertainty, no more fear.
“That emergency brake would give renters vital breathing space.
“Let wages begin to catch up with the rents that have outstripped them for far too long.
“And in the long term, we’ll put in place a national fair rents guarantee to keep rents affordable for everyone, forever.”
The conference itself
It's a strange conference with the by-election underpinning everything going on.
It's rather unusual to see signage around a political conference actually encouraging members to leave - as they're being encouraged to campaign for Polanski in London.
Polanski himself is set to leave conference this evening and not return over the weekend, as he puts all efforts into winning the seat vacated by Starmer.
Much of the press coverage around this conference has focused on particular motion, which is seeking to categorise Zionism as racism.
Some senior Green figures, including former MP Caroline Lucas, have criticised the motion, describing it as "divisive".
“There is no single definition of Zionism, and irrespective of the intentions of the people who put that motion forward, I think there is a real risk that it’ll be divisive and could be seen as a sign that Jewish people aren’t welcome in the party,” she told BBC R4 earlier today.
“I will not be supporting it for that reason.”
The Greens already have existing policies on Palestine, including classing Israel's actions as apartheid and genocide, backing suspending arms exports to Israel, and supporting a full end to occupation.
As members meet to discuss motions in private, journalists will not be able to cover the debate in full. However, it is expected the motion will be heard on Sunday.
Elsewhere, members will discuss a motion seeking to commit the party to not obstructing Scottish independence, and supporting full fiscal autonomy to the Scottish Parliament.
