LONDON — A jury acquitted Fatiah Boumazouna, 55, and her daughter Hadjer Boumazouna, 28, of charges related to chanting at a protest in London. The jury deliberated for 28 minutes before delivering the acquittal verdict.

The mother and daughter chanted "Khaybar Khaybar Ya Yahud Jaish Muhammad, sa yahud" during the protest on October 28, 2023. They were arrested after the demonstration and surrendered to police on October 29, 2023.

The Boumazounas stated they were unaware the chant constituted racial or religious hatred. They apologized for any offense caused by the chant.

A spokesperson for the Community Security Trust stated the verdict was disappointing. "It is very disappointing that this case did not result in a conviction, but we hope this outcome will not dissuade the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) from continuing to prosecute cases of people allegedly inciting antisemitic hatred wherever possible," the spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for Campaign Against Antisemitism noted this marked the second time a prosecution for the Khaybar chant had failed. "The chant is unmistakably threatening to Jewish people," the spokesperson said. "But a jury apparently somehow disagreed." The spokesperson added, "Nothing, it seems, can possibly be construed as being threatening to Jewish people if it means someone might be held to account." The spokesperson described the outcome as "another miscarriage of justice that will do nothing to reassure British Jews that the system is up to the job of protecting them and deterring haters."

A spokesperson for the Jewish Leadership Council stated that "Chants of 'Khaybar, Khaybar, ya yahud' are among the clearest examples of incitement against Jewish people heard at regular anti-Israel demonstrations." The spokesperson added that "This slogan cannot credibly be misconstrued as a legitimate political slogan against the State of Israel." According to the spokesperson, "Rather, it is a direct expression of racial and religious hatred towards Jews."