Washington: An Indian-origin woman in the US has been arrested and charged with making terroristic threats against the Mayor of California’s Bakersfield. At a city council meeting on Wednesday, the woman known as Riddhi Patel directed threats towards officials, slamming them for not backing a ceasefire resolution for the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Ms Patel made frightening remarks during the meeting, which went viral on tape, saying that she wanted “oppressed minorities” to “guillotine” city authorities. In her threats, she even included Jesus Christ, saying that even he would condemn them. During her address, she emphasized that other people in the global south celebrate similar festivals and that they too believe in violent revolt against their oppressors. She expressed her hope that one day someone will bring a guillotine and kill them all.
According to sources, Ms Patel made the threats during two different addresses that she gave that evening to the municipal council. At first, she called for the ceasefire resolution to be approved but expected it to be rejected, denouncing the council members as terrible people. She criticized the implementation of metal detectors and other security measures in the government building in her next speech, calling them an attempt to criminalize protesters.
She added that the people who vote to win Bakersfield parade Gandhi around and a Hindu holiday called Chaitra Navaratri that starts this week. She said that these holidays are practised and other people in the global south practice, believe in violent revolution against their oppressors. At the end of her speech, she said “We’ll see you at your house. We’ll murder you”.
In response to Patel’s threats, Mayor Karen Goh moved quickly to tell the on-site police officers that something needed to be done. The cops escorted Ms Patel out of the chambers and placed her under arrest. She is accused of 16 felonies, according to Bakersfield Police, including intimidating and threatening city officials.
