NEW DELHI: A person named Riddhi Patel made frightening threats against Republican Mayor Karen Goh and other council members during the Bakersfield City Council meeting on Wednesday.
Patel’s threats were reportedly prompted by the council’s lack of support for a ceasefire resolution against Israel and increased security measures at the government building in response to ongoing anti-Israel protests.
“We’ll see you at your house,” she said, threatening violence as she concluded her speech. “We’ll murder you.”
Mayor Goh approached Patel after she left the stage, waving at the on-duty police officers before saying, “Ms. Patel, that was a threat – what you said at the end. And so the officers are going to escort you out and take care of that.”
Patel was brought into custody and is accused of 16 felonies, according to Bakersfield Police Sgt. Eric Celedon, who confirmed this to the local publication Bakersfield.com.
According to Fox News, these threats were made in two separate speeches delivered to the city council during the evening.
In her initial address, Patel accused the council members of not caring about the oppression of Palestinians and expressed hope that “the global south” would rise and execute them.
During her second speech, Patel criticized the installation of additional security measures, such as metal detectors, characterizing them as attempts to “criminalize” protesters, and ended with a violent threat.
Bakersfield Police Sgt. Eric Celedon confirmed that Patel was taken into custody and faces 16 felony counts, including eight counts of threatening with intent to terrorize and eight counts of threatening the seven City Council members and the mayor.
Anti-Israel protesters who were present with Patel distanced themselves from her after her arrest, emphasizing that her comments did not represent their mission to demand a ceasefire and an end to the genocide in Gaza.
(With inputs from agencies)
Patel’s threats were reportedly prompted by the council’s lack of support for a ceasefire resolution against Israel and increased security measures at the government building in response to ongoing anti-Israel protests.
“We’ll see you at your house,” she said, threatening violence as she concluded her speech. “We’ll murder you.”
Mayor Goh approached Patel after she left the stage, waving at the on-duty police officers before saying, “Ms. Patel, that was a threat – what you said at the end. And so the officers are going to escort you out and take care of that.”
Patel was brought into custody and is accused of 16 felonies, according to Bakersfield Police Sgt. Eric Celedon, who confirmed this to the local publication Bakersfield.com.
According to Fox News, these threats were made in two separate speeches delivered to the city council during the evening.
In her initial address, Patel accused the council members of not caring about the oppression of Palestinians and expressed hope that “the global south” would rise and execute them.
During her second speech, Patel criticized the installation of additional security measures, such as metal detectors, characterizing them as attempts to “criminalize” protesters, and ended with a violent threat.
Bakersfield Police Sgt. Eric Celedon confirmed that Patel was taken into custody and faces 16 felony counts, including eight counts of threatening with intent to terrorize and eight counts of threatening the seven City Council members and the mayor.
Anti-Israel protesters who were present with Patel distanced themselves from her after her arrest, emphasizing that her comments did not represent their mission to demand a ceasefire and an end to the genocide in Gaza.
(With inputs from agencies)