Prominent West Midlands Muslim activist arrested on suspicion of racially abusing policeman
'TikTok lawyer' Akhmed Yakoob led the protests in Birmingham against Israeli football side Maccabi Tel Aviv
A prominent West Midlands Muslim activist, who led the protests against a football match involving Maccabi Tel Aviv, has been arrested on suspicion of racially abusing a black police officer.
Akhmed Yakoob, who stood as a pro-Gaza independent candidate for the West Midlands mayoral election and the general election in 2024, was arrested on March 10 after a live stream he was running appearing to broadcast a male voice describing a policeman man as a “racist motherf*er, black motherf*ker, son of a bitch.”
The arrest came just five days after Yakoob was reportedly detained on March 5 in connection with the burning of an Israeli flag at a separate protest.
West Midlands Police confirmed a 38-year-old was arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence at about 18:00 GMT on Hospital Street, Birmingham, and has since been released on bail.
In a statement, the force said it was aware of social media comments suggesting the arrest was connected to the burning of an Israeli flag on 5 March at another demonstration on Hospital Street.
“That is not the case. The investigation into the flag burning continues, and we are liaising with the Crown Prosecution Service,” a spokesperson said. “We respect people’s right to protest and express views, without intimidating individuals, communities or breaking the law.”
Yakoob, who has become known as the “TikTok lawyer” after representing two brothers involved in an incident with police at Manchester Airport, was at the centre of calls for protests in Birmingham after Aston Villa were drawn against the Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv.
In a speech at a mosque in Dewsbury in April 2024, he is reported to have said: “I know now why Allah has put me in this position, it’s to challenge the Zionist regime, challenge the elites of this country and the world.”
It has also been alleged that he has described Zionism as a “fascist ideology” and claimed that Zionists “control everything”.
After taking part in a quizzed by West Midlands Police after taking part in a demonstration in Iran on March 5, Yakoob was quizzed by cops over the burning of an Israeli flag, while protesters also shouted “Death to the IDF” and “Bomb Tel Aviv.”
Yakoob and his fellow political activist, Shakeel Afsar, had helped coordinate a gathering of people, most waving Palestinian flags, outside a city mosque where prayers were taking place inside to mourn the death of Iran’s Islamist leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
They were joined by some of their Independent Alliance candidates, including Shahid Butt, a reformed convicted terrorist.
In a video posted on his TikTok and Instagram accounts, Yakoob showed himself arriving at Bournville Police Station, where he said he was questioned over “something I did not do”.
He suggested the police had no reason to question him personally about the chants and the flag-burning, which was carried out by another man, though Yakoob was caught on video “celebrating”.
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