When do memes, gifs and emojis become hate crimes?

From ducks to coconuts and raccoons, Nadine White looks at whether social media images should ever be a police matter

- Nadine White

From a man being taken to court for posting a raccoon picture on social media to a British-Asian woman being charged after holding a placard depicting ministers as coconuts, concerns are mounting about how criticising politicians can land Black and Asian people with criminal records.

Increasingly, emojis and memes are being used as a form of political criticism, in these cases to call out members of an ethnic minority who are perceived as pandering to white supremacy. But a number of people have been investigated by the police as a result of using terms such as “coconut”, “c**n” and “tap dancer” to criticise public figures who share the same ethnicity.

Critics believe they are making legitimate points, while those on the receiving end have said the images amount to racial abuse. Those making complaints are using anti-racist legislation. But campaigners are concerned the law is being weaponised against people from minoritised communities who have expressed critical views on social media, particularly against right-wing politicians. The accused could face sentences of up to two years in prison if convicted.

Michael Buraimoh, chief executive of campaigning group Race on the Agenda, told The Independent: “It is deeply troubling to see anti-racist legislation meant to protect members of our community increasingly being weaponised against us.

“‘Racism’, whilst notoriously difficult to define, generally involves individuals with more power oppressing or victimising those with less power. The decision to open a police probe into a social media dispute between two members of our racialised and generally marginalised community is wholly disproportionate.”