Hearing continues Thursday for protester charged with threatening Bakersfield City Council

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — The preliminary hearing for a protester accused of threatening to kill Bakersfield City Council members will continue Thursday morning.

The hearing for Riddhi Patel began Wednesday and is expected to last into next week. At its conclusion, Judge Brian M. McNamara will decide whether there is sufficient evidence to order her to stand trial.

17 News will live blog Thursday’s proceedings. The hearing is scheduled to resume at 9:30 a.m.

Patel was criticizing security measures at an April 10 city council meeting — claiming the measures were retaliation against protesters who demanded the council pass a resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza — when she said, “We’ll see you at your house, we’ll murder you.”

She was arrested immediately afterward and charged with 21 felony counts.

Prosecutors allege Patel threatened all council members, the city attorney, Mayor Karen Goh and other city officials present at the meeting.

Following her arrest, Patel was fired from her job with an environmental advocacy group. As part of her bail conditions, she was ordered to turn in her passport, remain in the state and be placed on GPS monitoring.

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