School teacher Marieha Hussain has been found not guilty of a racially aggravated public order offence for holding up a satirical sign showing politicians Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman as coconuts.
Hussein was charged after being photographed holding the placard depicting the former Prime Minister and former Home Secretary during a pro-Palestine protest that attracted hundreds of thousands of people.
Hussain’s legal team argued that the placard was not intended to be racist but a form of political satire and humour.
District judge Vanessa Lloyd agreed: “I find that it was part of the genre of political satire and, as such, the prosecution have not proved to the criminal standard that it was abusive.
“The prosecution has also not proved to the criminal standard that you were aware that your placard may be abusive.”
Outside the court Marieha Hussain, who is nine months pregnant, said: “I must start by thanking God for giving me the patience and strength to withstand the trials and tribulations of the last 10 months. It has led me to my outstanding legal team who defended me, CAGE who have advocated for me and academics, like Nels Abbey, who have supported me.
“Despite the pressure from the CPS and the police, Judge Vanessa Lloyd has seen through this politicised prosecution and I have found some justice today. The damage to my reputation and image can never be undone but I am proud to have defended the principle that our language and political critique is not illegal.
“The laws on hate speech must serve to protect us all, but this trial shows us that these laws are being weaponised to target ethnic minorities and in my case also crack down on pro Palestine political dissent.
“It goes without saying this has been an agonising ordeal for my family and I. Instead of enjoying my pregnancy, I have been vilified in the media, lost my career & dragged through the court system in what can only be described as a politically motivated show trial.
“Although it may seem like I lost it all, in actual fact I have been liberated – free to openly call out genocide enablers wherever I find them. Nearly a year on from the genocide in Gaza, and despite this trial, I am more determined than ever to continue using my voice to defend Palestine.
She ended with: “FREE FREE Palestine!
“The right to anti-racists to criticise their own race”
Hussain told Westminster Magistrates’ Court that the placard was not “meant to be offensive” but a “satirical” political commentary.
“There was no hate speech. It was a satirical placard. It was funny. It was comic. There were no words on it in reference to ‘speech’. I did not alter the images of the home secretary and prime minister,” Hussain told the court.
Hussain said a man had asked to photograph her placard. No police officer had approached her about the sign, which was double-sided and had “Cruella Braverman” written on the reverse. Hussain explained that the man requested to see and photograph the side that had the coconut imagery.
Her lawyer, Rajiv Menon, pointed out that the person who shared the photo was “conveniently hiding in the shadows that had apparently taken offence. We wouldn’t be here today. Thousands of officers were wholly uninterested [in Hussain’s] placard.”
The police were alerted to Hussain’s banner by a tweet from the controversial Harry’s Place blog, which Menon described as “a secretive political blog… that has a particular interest in opposing any criticism of the Israeli state”.
Menon also questioned why the prosecution didn’t provide expert testimony to establish “coconut” as a racial slur or call witnesses who were offended by Hussain’s placard to give evidence.
In his closing speech, Menon said: “This prosecution of Ms Hussain is … a disturbing attack on the right of freedom of expression; the right to peaceful protest that did not risk in any shape or form violence or public disorder; the right to anti-racists to criticise members of their own race for pursuing racist policies and using racist rhetoric; the right to satirise our politicians; the right to mock and tease and make fun of our politicians in a light-hearted way that Marieha Hussain attempted to do with her placard.
“That Marieha Hussain of all people is being prosecuted for a racially aggravated offence whilst the likes of Suella Braverman and Nigel Farage and Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – aka Tommy Robinson – and Frank Hester are seemingly free to make inflammatory and divisive statements … is, I’m afraid, incomprehensible to many people.”
