A pro-Palestine protester told California lawmakers she’d murder them at a council meeting – then sobbed like a baby after being arrested and hauled before a court.
Riddhi Patel, 28, was all tough-talk at the Bakersfield meeting Wednesday, as including Mayor Karen Goh discussed calls back a motion calling on Israel to declare a ceasefire. They later rejected the motion.
Standing at a microphone during public comments, Patel said: ‘I hope one day somebody brings the guillotine and kills all of you mother******.
‘You guys want to criminalize us with metal detectors, we’ll see you at your house, we’ll murder you.’
But the bloodthirsty activist’s snarling bravado vanished in court two days later, when she was seen sobbing uncontrollably after being charged over her threats.
Riddhi Patel, 28, wept in court after she was accused of 18 felony counts over threats to murder city councilors, including Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh, unless they voted to endorse a ceasefire in Gaza
Having spent two days in the slammer, a disturbed-looking Patel sobbed and sniveled as she appeared before a judge in brown jail garb.
She faces 18 felony counts including terror charges – and now likely has even more to cry about, as she was ordered back to jail after her hearing, in lieu of $2 million bond.
During Wednesday’s meeting, Patel raged before the vote: ‘I don’t have faith that you’ll do this. You’re all horrible human beings, and Jesus would have probably killed you himself.’
‘And none of you care because you guys don’t care about anything happening in Palestine or any other country where oppression occurs.’
Patel, who is Indian-American, then mentioned Mahatma Gandhi and claimed the Hindu holiday called Chaitra Navaratri encourages ‘violent revolution against their oppressors.’
‘You guys, those who votes to win in Bakersfield, parade Gandhi around and a Hindu holiday called Chaitra Navaratri that starts off this week,’ she 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 following her arrest – with 10 counts of threatening with intent to terrorize and eight counts of threatening certain state officials including the city council members and the Mayor, according to the criminal report
Patel criticized city council for implementing heightened security measures such as metal detectors in the building, which she perceived as an attempt to ‘criminalize’ protesters.
‘In the last five years I’ve attended city council meetings there’s never been metal detectors, there’s never been more cops,’ she said.
‘The only reason you’re doing it is because people actually don’t care if you guys don’t like them and they’re actually resisting so you’re trying to criminalize them.’
Patel concluded her speech with a violent threat to city council, stating that they should be guillotines and adding: ‘You guys want to criminalize us with metal detectors.
‘We’ll see you at your house. We’ll murder you.’
Patel then mentioned Mahatma Gandhi and claimed the Hindu holiday called Chaitra Navaratri encourages ‘violent revolution against their oppressors’
Patel is seen being arrested for her murder threats at Wednesday’s meeting. A public defender entered a not guilty plea on Patel’s behalf on Friday
Following her violent call to action, Mayor Goh motioned to officers and then addressed Patel directly.
‘Ms. Patel, that was a threat, what you said at the end, so officers are going to escort you out and take care of that,’ Mayor Goh said.
She was subsequently arrested and faced felony counts for her threats to the council and mayor.
Patel faces 18 felony charges following her arrest – with 10 counts of threatening with intent to terrorize and eight counts of threatening certain state officials including the city council members and the Mayor, according to the criminal report.
A public defender entered a not guilty plea on Patel’s behalf.
She will remain in police custody on $2 million bond. She is expected to appear in court next on April 24.
Following Patel’s outburst going viral and garnering thousands of negative comments, other protesters present at the meeting who shared similar criticism’s publicly distanced themselves from Patel.
Other pro-Palestine protesters who attended the same meeting have since distanced themselves from Patel’s desire to kill.
The pro-Palestine group called United Liberation Front, said the threats ran ‘counter to 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 engaging directly with our elected representatives,’ the group added.
City officials have confirmed the extra security measures were not prompted by the protesters, which by Wednesday had entered their eighth week at meetings.
Officials told Bakersfield.com that the measures were part of a five-year process to implement enhanced security – a standard for similarly populated cities across California.