A pro-Palestinian activist who threatened to murder members of the Bakersfield City Council has been charged with 18 felony counts, including making terroristic threats.
Riddhi Patel’s shocking comments came during a council meeting on April 10. She and other activists had been demanding an Israeli ceasefire resolution from city leaders. She was also upset over new security measures, including metal detectors, at City Hall.
Ironically, Patel’s threats helped demonstrate why those measures are necessary.
“I hope one day somebody brings the guillotine and kills all you motherf—,” she told the council.
“We’ll see you at your house. We’ll murder you,” Patel added.
Police were called and Patel was escorted out of the meeting and placed under arrest.
Patel appeared in court Monday, sobbing during her arraignment. She pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Numerous California cities have faced heated protests and violence since the war in Gaza began. On Monday, pro-Palestinian demonstrators disrupted traffic in several cities, including Oakland and San Francisco.