Teacher acquitted of crime after holding up a poster with Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman as coconuts complained to CPS and police inspectorate

A teacher who was found not guilty after holding up a placard depicting Rishi Sunak and Suella Braverman as coconuts at a pro-Palestinian demonstration has lodged a complaint with the CPS and the Police Inspectorate.

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

She was acquitted on 13 September and has now lodged a complaint with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Independent Office for Police Misconduct (IOPC).

During the trial, prosecutor Jonathan Bryan said: “Coconut is a well-known racist slur with a very clear meaning.”

“You may be brown on the outside, but you are white on the inside. In other words, you are a race traitor – you are less brown or black than you should be.”

A counter-protester is arrested by police on November 4 in Parliament Square in central London.

Demonstrators hold flares during pro-Palestinian protests in London on November 11.

Defence lawyer Rajiv Menon KC said the poster was “not offensive” but a “political criticism” of then Prime Minister Sunak and then Home Secretary Braverman.

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.”

Lawyers Gareth Peirce and Sajida Malik confirmed in a statement that the complaints had been received.

They argue that the Metropolitan Police and the CPS “inexcusably failed in their respective duties, seriously undermined the exercise of free expression and exposed Ms Hussain to irreparable harm”.

Ms Hussain told the Guardian: “It has damaged my reputation and cost me my career.”

“They must answer for the harm they have caused not only to me but also to the right to peaceful protest.”

The lawyers’ statement said: “We confirm that serious complaints were made last week to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) regarding a prosecution that proceeded despite insufficient evidence and contrary to clear legal principles to the contrary.”

During the march on November 11 in central London, several people were arrested by police.

Officials arrested and detained numerous counter-protesters at the November 11 rally

“The fact that Ms. Hussain was acquitted was a relief for her lawyers. However, the fact that she had to be brought to trial at all is not yet over.

“The Metropolitan Police and the CPS have inexcusably failed in their respective duties, seriously undermined the exercise of free expression and exposed Ms Hussain to irreparable harm.”

The lawyers criticised the police for responding to a photo of Ms Hussain holding the poster posted online. The organisation is said to be an “anonymous right-wing organisation based in the US that is known to be extremely hostile towards Palestinian activists”.

And they said the “internal Metropolitan Police emails produced by the case officer confirmed that the CPS had considered independent expert evidence (that the use of a ‘coconut’ motif could constitute a racial slur) necessary to bring a prosecution, but that such evidence was never obtained.”

Their statement continued: “The complaints filed on behalf of Ms Hussain raise detailed questions for both organisations – what happened at the police command centre on the day of the demonstration?”

“What influences were at work in the decision-making process? What responsibilities were considered or ignored?

During a pro-Palestinian protest march, clashes between counter-demonstrators and police take place in Parliament Square in central London

“What insights have ever been gained about the context of Ms Hussain’s protest and the use of the symbol itself? And most importantly, what considerations have been made:

“Ms Hussain has been subjected to irreparable harm;

“To the protection of freedom of expression guaranteed by UK legislation, common law and the European Convention on Human Rights (especially political criticism, which requires the highest level of protection);

“On the chilling effect that the prosecution of Ms Hussain has had on freedom of expression and, more than anything else, on the exercise of that freedom by communities significantly involved in the Palestinian protests?”

The CPS said it had received a complaint and would review the content and respond to it.

A spokesman said: “Our prosecutors have carefully reviewed this case and have concluded that there is sufficient evidence to present it to a court of law.”

“The defendant was found not guilty and we respect the judge’s decision.”

The Met told MailOnline it had “received a complaint through the Independent Office for Police Conduct, which is currently being registered and assessed.”

The IOPC was also asked for a statement.