Tam also expressed support for one of the barristers leading the legal campaign to end Hamas’ designation as a terrorist organisation.
Green councillor Hau-Yu Tam (centre) with the party's deputy leader Zack Polanksi (left)[Missing Credit]
In another post, she used the word “coconut” – widely considered to be a racially offensive term meaning ‘brown on the outside but white on the inside’ – to refer to David Lammy and Dame Priti Patel.
During the election campaign ahead of the local elections earlier this month, the Labour Party seized on her comments and accused her of being a racist in a post on X.
She was defended by her party’s deputy leader Mothin Ali, who was in turn criticised by Conservative MP Ben Obese-Jecty.
“The Deputy Leader of the Green Party here casually defending calling black and brown politicians ‘coconuts’ after one of their local election candidates did so,” he said.
The MP for Huntingdon also accused Zack Polanski’s party of turning a blind eye to the offensive comments, adding: “Those who believe the colour of your skin should define your politics, and weaponise it to show others the price of dissent, have no place in elected office.”
Shortly after her election victory, Tam appeared keen to boast about her anti-Zionist credentials.
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On her Instagram page, she shared an infographic posted by Greens for Palestine saying: “The smears didn’t work! Anti Zionist Greens have been elected all over the country.”
The post, which had the song Intifada by anti-Israel rapper Lowkey as accompanying music, had the following text as a caption: “Even with the full force of the lobby, media and the police, anti-Zionist Greens across the country were still elected. The public opposes Zionism. When we stand and fight, we win.”
The Green Party won control of the council and mayoralty in Lewisham as part of a successful night which saw them win 447 council seats across England and control of Hastings, Lewisham, Hackney and Waltham Forest councils, as well as the mayoralties in Hackney and Lewisham.
In her official council picture, Tam can be seen draped in a keffiyeh.
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Lewisham Mayor Liam Shrivastava, also a Green, said: “Councillors have a responsibility to foster good community relations regardless of political beliefs. I know that Cllr Tam has reflected on this and the impact of what she has said in the past on social media.
"Cllr Tam is a committed councillor; she has a wealth of experience working with refugees, asylum seekers and migrants, which is why she has been appointed to this challenging post, spearheading our work as the country’s first Borough of Sanctuary.”
