Teacher who held up a poster with Sunak and Braverman as coconuts found not guilty

A teacher who held up a placard depicting Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman as coconuts at a pro-Palestinian demonstration has been acquitted of racially motivated disorder.

Marieha Hussain, 37, denied prosecutors' allegations that the poster was “racially offensive” and at her trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court she was told she was “clearly not racist in the slightest”.

Ms Hussain was acquitted of the charges on Friday, sparking applause and cheers from her supporters in the gallery.

Outside the court hearing, Ms Hussain said: “The damage done to my reputation and image cannot be undone. Hate speech laws should protect us better, but this trial shows that these laws are being used as a weapon against ethnic minorities.”

“It goes without saying that this ordeal has been excruciating for my family and me. Instead of enjoying my pregnancy, I have been vilified by the media, I have lost my career, I have been dragged through the court system. Almost a year after the genocide in Gaza and despite this trial, I am more determined than ever to continue to raise my voice in defense of Palestine.”

“Political satire”

District Judge Vanessa Lloyd acquitted Ms Hussain, saying: “In my view it was in the genre of political satire and as such the prosecution has not established in a criminal sense that it was abusive.”

“The public prosecutor’s office has also not provided criminal evidence that you were aware that your poster could be abusive.”

In her witness statement, Ms Hussain said the poster was a “lighthearted political joke”, a way of portraying something serious in a “British satirical way”, the court heard.

In his closing argument, defence counsel Rajiv Menon KC said: “The fact that Marieha Hussain, of all people, should be charged with a racially motivated offence, while people like Suella Braverman, Nigel Farage, Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – aka Tommy Robinson – and Frank Hester can seemingly make inflammatory and divisive statements without hindrance … is, I fear, incomprehensible to many people.”

Mr Menon said Ms Hussain was a woman of “impeccable character”, adding: “She is a responsible and considerate citizen who is genuinely concerned about the plight of the less fortunate and who is ready to exercise her democratic right to peacefully protest against injustice.”

“We believe she should not be criminalized for her satirical coconut poster,” the lawyer continued.

“It would be a tragedy – and I use that word carefully – if she were convicted of a racially motivated offence when she clearly does not display racist behaviour.”

The court was previously shown a picture of Ms Hussain holding the sign, which shows cut-out images of Mr Sunak and Ms Braverman next to coconuts under a tree, and sought expert opinion on whether the term 'coconut' was a racial slur.