Fresno City Council President Miguel Arias was issued 3 citations for misdemeanor battery after a group of conservative activists confronted him outside his apartment Tuesday while protesting the city’s shelter-in-place order, according to Fox26 News.
A group of protesters belonging to the activist organization “Frontline America” can be seen on camera walking up to Arias’ door to confront him on Fresno’s shelter-in-place requirements. Shortly after opening the door, Arias hits one protester’s camera equipment before attempting to push him down the apartment complex stairs.
“You’re destroying businesses,” shouted conservative activist Ben Bergquam as Arias pushed him away from his apartment door. “You are destroying business, and people’s lives.” (RELATED: Protest Showdowns: Anti-Lockdown Protesters Carry Guns In Pennsylvania, Kansas City Counter-Protesters Block Traffic)
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Here’s another angle. The Fresno City Council President is now facing charges. https://t.co/l3FhuUdIwn
— Veronica Miracle (@ABC7Veronica) May 13, 2020
Fresno Police arrived to the scene after Arias called 9-1-1 to report the protesters for not leaving the gated apartment complex, Fox26 News reported. Arias was later given three counts of misdemeanor battery but was let go at the scene. No charges have yet been filed.
“What would anyone do in this situation if our kids were just a few feet away while a mob of grown men approached our front door?” Arias told the local news outlet. “The leaders of this group are self-proclaimed white nationalists, known to be armed, and have previously made threats against me. Keeping my family safe is priority number one, and this group intended to intimidate, not dialogue.”
“He could’ve just closed the door. He could have said no comment, closed the door. Nothing to say to you. But for him to come out and grab us, that shocked me first,” said Bergquam.
According to county data, Fresno county has 984 cases of the coronavirus and 10 deaths from the disease. The shelter-in-place executive order went into effect back on March 12, and is now in it’s phase 2, which allows curbside retail along with essential activity.