A pro-Palestine protester told California lawmakers she would murder them at a council meeting, then cried like a baby after being arrested and taken to court.
Riddhi Patel, 28, spoke harshly at Wednesday’s Bakersfield meeting, when Mayor Karen Goh discussed returning a motion calling on Israel to declare a ceasefire. They later rejected the motion.
Standing in front of a microphone during public comments, Patel said, “I hope one day someone brings the guillotine and kills them all, mother ******.”
‘You want to criminalize us with metal detectors, we’ll meet you at your house, we’ll kill you.’
But the bloodthirsty activist’s bravado faded in court two days later when she was seen sobbing uncontrollably after being charged with her threats.
Riddhi Patel, 28, cried in court after being charged with 18 felonies for threatening to kill city council members, including Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh, unless they voted for a ceasefire in Loop.
After spending two days in jail, a distraught-looking Patel sobbed and whimpered as she appeared before a judge dressed in a brown prison jumpsuit.
He faces 18 felony charges, including terrorism charges, and now he likely has even more to cry about since he was ordered to return to jail after his hearing in lieu of $2 million bail.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Patel fumed before the vote: ‘I have no faith in them to do this. You are all horrible human beings and Jesus himself would probably have killed you.
“And none of you care because you don’t care about anything that happens in Palestine or any other country where oppression occurs.”
Patel, who is Indian-American, then mentioned Mahatma Gandhi and claimed that the Hindu holiday called Chaitra Navaratri encourages “violent revolution against their oppressors.”
“You, those who vote to win in Bakersfield, parade Gandhi and a Hindu holiday called Chaitra Navaratri that begins this week,” he said.
“I remind you that these holidays that we practice, that other people in the global south practice, believe in violent revolution against their oppressors.”
Patel faces 18 felony charges after his arrest, with 10 counts of threatening with intent to terrorize and eight counts of threatening certain state officials, including city council members and the mayor, according to the criminal report.
Patel criticized the city council for implementing heightened security measures, such as metal detectors in the building, which he perceived as an attempt to “criminalize” protesters.
“In the last five years that I’ve attended city council meetings there have never been metal detectors, there have never been more police,” he said.
“The only reason you do it is because people don’t really care if they don’t like you and they actually resist, so you’re trying to criminalize them.”
Patel concluded his speech with a violent threat to the city council, stating that they should be guillotined and adding: ‘You want to criminalize us with metal detectors.
‘See you at your home. We will murder you.
Patel then mentioned Mahatma Gandhi and claimed that the Hindu holiday called Chaitra Navaratri encourages a “violent revolution against their oppressors.”
Patel is seen being arrested for her murder threats at Wednesday’s meeting. A public defender pleaded not guilty on Patel’s behalf on Friday.
Following her violent call to action, Mayor Goh gestured to the officers and then addressed Patel directly.
‘EM. Patel, what you said at the end was a threat, so the officers will escort you and deal with it,” Mayor Goh said.
She was later arrested and faced felony charges for her threats to the council and mayor.
Patel faces 18 felony charges after his arrest, with 10 counts of threatening with intent to terrorize and eight counts of threatening certain state officials, including city council members and the mayor, according to the criminal report.
A public defender pleaded not guilty on Patel’s behalf.
She will remain in police custody on $2 million bail. She is expected to appear in court on April 24.
After Patel’s outburst went viral and generated thousands of negative comments, other protesters present at the meeting who shared similar criticism publicly distanced themselves from Patel.
Other pro-Palestinian protesters who attended the same meeting have since distanced themselves from Patel’s desire to kill.
The pro-Palestinian group called the United Liberation Front said the threats went “against our values” in an Instagram post.
“It does not represent those of us in the community who continue to show up and exercise our civic duty by interacting directly with our elected representatives,” the group added.
City officials have confirmed that the additional security measures were not prompted by protesters, who on Wednesday had entered their eighth week of gatherings.
Officials told Bakersfield.com that the measures were part of a five-year process to implement enhanced security, a standard for cities with similar populations throughout California.