Woman cleared over coconut placard of Sunak and Braverman at pro-Palestine rally

for these protesters Mara Hussein is a symbol of free speech the former teacher had been charged of committing a racially aggravated offense for her placard depicting rishy sunak and Suella braan as coconuts but today in court she was found not guilty it goes without saying that this ordeal has been agonizing for my family and I instead of enjoying my pregnancy I've been vilified in the media I've lost my career I've been drag through the court system in what can only be described as a politically motivated show trial this is a case with cultural and political significance that started here last November as hundreds of thousands gathered to call for a ceasefire in Gaza sella bravman the Home Secretary at the time condemned these protests as a hate March her words followed negative remarks about Pakistani men and Asylum Seekers many condemned as racist in response Mar Hussein Drew this placard that some may find offensive Mara Hussein told the court that the image was political satire that she made to criticize the inflammatory language of the then Home Secretary the prosecution said that that placard had crossed the line from Free Speech into hate speech the prosecution had even cited this now she wants to be known as black Donald Trump being condemned for questioning the ethnicity of kamla Harris was referenced to to support for why the placard crossed the line it was at this point that the defense Barrister stood up and said you've got to be joking earlier this year the black Police Association had told channel 4 news they were concerned that policing was being politicized at the expense of racial minorities the court had heard how today's case was the result of a complaint on X made by what was called an anonymous rightwing blog based in Washington with pro-- Israel interests in court an expert witness cited this BBC program titled coconuts to highlight how the term was often explored by racial minority communities sometimes even to describe or critique their own political and cultural identity the court heard that criminalizing the term is setting a dangerous president the court heard that the interc communal language amongst black and brown minorities was now being held to a higher standard than other groups who had their own expression to describe politic iCal and cultural differences among them it is this that has led to backlash against the CPS decision to charge Mara Hussein at the first hearing protesters were arrested for holding up coconuts in support are you serious today the court had heard how the Metropolitan Police had sought expert advice from Professor kahindi Andrews to understand the offense and in response he made this video if I call you a coconut is it a crime no of course not in a Twist Professor Andrews is now being investigated for that video but how do you as a anti-racist campaigner find yourself in a position where you're justifying use of an insult that people say is racialized who says it's racialized these terms coconut these come from struggle they come from others the whole point of this is to say you can't tell me I should be proud to have a brown prime minister and a brown Home Secretary and then say well actually when they do things which are racist we can't criticize them that's what it is this is political language and the judge made it very clear this is political satire it is unclear what impact today's verdict will have on those cases but what has been revealed are the inconsistencies and challenges the authorities have in recognizing when a racial offense has been committed these add further questions over how the political speech of minorities is policed from those who say the decision to prosecute was coconuts

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