Hackney Greens distance themselves from Burnham effigy protest
Hackney’s Green party has defended its frontline politicians after they were accused of taking part in a “horrifying” protest where demonstrators repeatedly stabbed an effigy of Andy Burnham with darts.
At a trans rights rally held outside Hackney Town Hall on 9 July activists were pictured thrusting darts into the eyes and face of a dummy depicting the incoming Prime Minister. The Times reported the story on Monday (13 July).
According to the report, cabinet members Cllr Alastair Binnie-Lubbock, Cllr Florence Schechter, Cllr Laura-Louise Fairley and backbencher Cllr Jaz Crowe were in attendance.
But the party has since condemned the “stunt” and insisted that all the councillors had already left the demo and did not witness the act.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), a party spokesperson said: “They were at the event to stand in solidarity with the trans community, something other political parties no longer seem willing or able to do.
“Greens reject attempts to segregate trans people from public life, and are proud to always stand with the trans community as they continue to be attacked by politicians and the media alike.”
The demonstration was held to protest the new Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Code of Practice, published following the landmark Supreme Court ruling in 2025 that the legal definitions of “woman” refer to biological sex.
The EHRC statutory guidance states that where a provider has chosen to offer a single-sex or separate-sex service, “a trans man will be excluded from the men-only service because his sex is female, and a trans woman will be excluded from the women-only service because her sex is male”.
Hackney’s Green mayor, Zoë Garbett, has called on the government to reject the “cruel and unfeasible” guidance she says will “consolidate a system of public segregation” and put trans people at “real physical risk”.
Reports of the effigy stabbing drew criticism from Labour figures, including Tottenham MP and deputy prime minister David Lammy.
Cllr Anna Lynch, deputy leader of Hackney Labour group, told the LDRS: “It is beyond horrifying that Green party councillors are participating in demonstrations like this. Hackney residents deserve better than representatives who choose to stand alongside protests where violent performances targeting national politicians take place.
“Hackney Labour recognises and defends the fundamental rights to freedom of speech and peaceful protest. But there is no place for demonstrations that glorify or simulate violence against elected representatives. Political disagreement must never cross the line into intimidation or incitement.”
Burnham, who is set to become the UK’s next Prime Minister on Monday 20 July, has faced criticism over his positions on trans rights.
Initially he was critical of the EHRC’s interim guidance making the issue of single-sex spaces “more confusing in the real world”. He later clarified that he supported the implementation of the guidance “in the fairest and most compassionate way possible”.
Following the Supreme Court ruling in 2025, Hackney’s Labour administration came under pressure to cancel plans to provide mixed-sex changing rooms in its revamp of King’s Hall Leisure Centre.
Cllr Carole Williams, who was then cabinet member for Equalities, said at the time that the council would consider “all potential implications” of the ruling, while stressing that the borough would defend the trans community “against all forms of hate, discrimination and violence”, which was commended by the Green Party.
This disgraceful act took place just days after the murder of a senior politician, the third of my colleagues in a decade.
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) July 14, 2026
It is a shared responsibility of all of us in our democracy to call out and condemn violence and threats against politicians.
I hope the Green Party…
Even though the demonstration took place before the violent killing of Ann Widdicombe, it is just terrible that any demonstration should have thought these childish student style protest was in any way appropriate.
But also once again, Green Councillors are showing that they dont have a basic understanding of UK law.
Like it or not the UK Supreme Court confirmed that within the Equality Act the word sex means biology. This was always the case and it only fake training by groups like Stonewall told people it was about how they “identified”.
If people dont like the law they can campaign to get it changed. But cant expect a politician, let alone the future PM to ignore the law.
What ever were Green Councillors doing attending nothing but a virtue signalling event.
It doesn’t show “solidarity” with the trans community, because it is a meaningless empty gesture.
And just to add for all those saying but what about the expense, again blame Stonewall for encouraging institutions to change their toilet and changing facilities wrongly.
I am sure the Greens, or at least hope they are, are getting on with bread and butter issues, but need to remember not all Hackney residents are ill informed impressionable students.