A London court has heard that Marieha Hussain held up a coconut placard of Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman as an act of “political criticism” but it was “not abusive.”
The nine-month-pregnant mother, 37, is standing trial at Westminster Magistrates’ Court after she pleaded not guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence.
Hussain was charged in May this year after attending a pro-Palestine protest in London in November 2023, where she was carrying a sign depicting the then PM Rishi Sunak and Home Secretary Suella Braverman as “coconuts.”
Rajiv Menon KC, defending Hussain, told the court that the defendant’s conduct was “reasonable” given the political climate and criticism of the government over their language on immigration at the time.
Mr Menon also claimed that the term coconut is a “more nuanced” phrase.
He said: “What she (Hussain) is saying is Suella Braverman – then Home Secretary… was promoting in different ways a racist political agenda as evidenced by the Rwanda policy, the racist rhetoric she was using around small boats. And the Prime Minister was either quiescing to it or being inactive. It was a political criticism of these two particular politicians.”
He continued his defence of Hussain saying the “clearly hand-drawn image” was “humorous and satirical.”
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“It was a pictorial attempt to criticise the policy of Rishi Sunak and particularly Suella Braverman and their race politics given what was happening at the time in the country. There is nothing gratuitous or gross in any way about the placard. This placard was political speech.”
One the other hand, prosecutor Jonathan Bryan argued that the term was actually a “well-known racial slur.”
“You may be brown on the outside, but you’re white on the inside. In other words, you’re a race traitor – you’re less brown or black than you should be.”
Bryan argued Hussain had “crossed the line” between legitimate political expression and moved into “racial insult.”
He told the court: “We say that the placard was abusive, it was racially abusive.”
Metropolitan Police communications manager Chris Humphreys appeared as a witness and explained how images come to the attention of the police on pro-Palestine protest days in London.
Humphreys explained how the force “actively monitors” accounts that frequently post images taken from Palestine solidarity rallies “either because the Met was tagged in the post or because accounts post protest-related tweets or images tag the police.”
The court was told that the image of the placard had been posted by the X account, Harry’s Place (a Zionist account).
Harry’s Place was described in court as “a secretive political blog” located in Washington DC opposing any criticism of the Israeli state.
When asked: “Are you aware that Harry’s Place is a secretive political blog headquartered in Washington DC that has a particular interest in opposing any criticism of the Israeli state?” Mr Humphreys replied saying only: “I know Harry’s Place is an anonymous political blog.”
Outside the court, over 40 pro-Palestinian protesters gathered chanting slogans and expressing solidarity with Hussain.
The trial will continue into its second day tomorrow (September 13).
