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Former Plaid Cymru leader Leanne Wood has been criticised for an image she shared on her Facebook account.

Ms Wood shared an image of a figure, dressed in an EU flag, wrestling with a swastika.

It was titled "Canlyniadau heno/results tonight".

While some said the post included a "great picture" which summed up the current political situation, others criticised Ms Wood - a remainer - for using the image in a Facebook post made in the wake of the European election results.

She has responded to those criticising her use of the image by saying it is not about Brexit but a "comment on the rise of the far right and the need for people across Europe to be united if they are to be defeated".

David Williams was one of those who responded to her post. "You are saying all who voted leave are far right? You have insulted 53% of Welsh voters and wonder how many votes Plaid would have lost if you posted before vote -probably why you didn't!"

'I'm surprised at you Leanne'

'Their delusions will be justified by images like this'

Monk Duncan said: "The people you're portraying as the Nazis are going to know who they are. And what you're saying is that it's them vs the might of the EU. So if they happen to win in the UK, (which they will), they suddenly know in their heads that they battled the EU head on and they destroyed them.

"Their delusions will be justified by images like this."

'A great pic'

'All the back tracking in the world won't get you out of this'

'Yes, it is powerful'

'This is how the left are portraying Brexiteers'



Harrison Graham Meyers wrote: "Here’s why people can’t connect with remainers. there are so many hardworking everyday people who support brexit, people who are as far away from nazism as can be, people who just want the best for their communities, and this is how the left is portraying them?"

'It's time we got inflammatory'

Anna Reynolds added: "This is the reality we're facing. Inflammatory? Maybe. But I think it's high time we got a bit inflammatory in the face of rising fascism."

Ms Wood's response:

The Rhondda AM responded to posts saying: "Some very interesting and varied responses to this image. Powerful image, isn’t it?

"For anyone who is interested in my interpretation, I see it as a comment on the battle of values that we are engaged in. Pro European, outward looking, progressive, promoting of equality versus the parties of the far right across the EU which are expected to do very well tonight."

She added: "It’s not a comment on any individual or which way they voted in the referendum. It’s a comment on the rise of the far right and the need for people across Europe to be united if they are to be defeated."

She added that while she could understand why some had interpreted it as a post about Brexit, her intention was to talk about the need for Europe to unite against extremism.

"I don't believe Leave voters are racist but the leave parties are and the Brexit leaders are.

"By blaming everything caused by austerity and the banking crisis on immigrants, that's a classic far right tactic.

"This isn't about people who voted a particular way but the parties.

"I think it's really important that people are warned about what these parties stand for and I am not going to stop doing it".