Fresno council president continues to receive threats after previous confrontation
Fresno City Council President Miguel Arias said Wednesday he continued to receive calls from outside of the city and state making threats toward him and his family after a group of people showed up at his home the night before.
Arias said the threats were cause for him to take additional safety measures, and he is considering all options to ensure Tuesday’s incident doesn’t happen again.
He also thanked people on both sides of the political aisle for reaching out to him and expressing support.
“I want to thank all those who have reached out and shown our city will not allow a handful of outsiders to tear us apart,” he said in a statement.
Arias was cited for misdemeanor battery Tuesday evening after an alt-right group showed up to his house blaming him for business closures from the coronavirus pandemic. Members of the group shot video of the incident, which showed Arias pushing at least one person on the stairs to his apartment. His two young children were inside at the time.
The group later went to Mayor Lee Brand’s house after a police detail arrived to ensure the mayor’s safety.
A leader of the group in the past has self-identified as a Proud Boy, a group the Southern Poverty Law Center classifies as a hate group.
Arias said in his statement Wednesday that the video on social media only depicted a small part of a longer incident. He alleged the group tried to force their way into his home.
Fresno police said Tuesday evening that the group pursued a citizen’s arrest, which resulted in the three citations for Arias.