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Marieha Hussain: How a 'coconut' placard ended up on trial

BBC
Summary
Nutrition label

69% Informative

Marieha Hussain , 37 , found not guilty of racially aggravated public order offence.

She was accused of using the word 'coconut' on a pro-Palestinian placard in November 2023 .

Court heard how she was tracked down, taken to court - and acquitted.

Ms Hussain , a secondary school teacher, said she had crossed line from legitimate political expression to racial insult.

Ms Hussain used the term to describe Conservative councillor Jay Jethwa during a heated debate about funding for the council’s Legacy Commission .

Shirley Brown , the first black Liberal Democrat elected to Bristol City Council , was convicted of racial harassment in 2010 .

Ms Brown was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay 620 in costs.

Ms Hussain argued that her use of the term was a form of political critique against politicians.

VR Score

70

Informative language

65

Neutral language

95

Article tone

informal

Language

English

Language complexity

41

Offensive language

offensive

Hate speech

possibly hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

Time-value

short-lived

Source diversity

1

Affiliate links

no affiliate links