Facebook post about Miami Beach mayor's support for Israel sparks police visit
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Screenshots of a video showing police speaking with Raquel Pacheco over her Facebook post. Video: Courtesy of Raquel Pacheco
A former Miami Beach political candidate says the police visited her home Monday over a Facebook post she made about Mayor Steven Meiner's views on the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The big picture: Raquel Pacheco — who wrote a post Jan. 7 claiming Meiner had "call[ed] for the death of all Palestinians" — says the incident is an attack on free speech.
- In an interview with Axios, Pacheco did not identify an example of Meiner using those words, but argued his public support for Israel amid the war in Gaza amounts to endorsing a genocide against Palestinians.
Driving the news: In a video of the police visit Pacheco posted Monday, two officers are seen asking her about the post, which one officer called "concerning."
- "That can probably incite someone to do something radical," the officer says before suggesting that Pacheco "refrain from posting things like that."
- The officers left the property without further discussion.
- "This is freedom of speech. This is America, right?" Pacheco says earlier in the video.
What they're saying: A Miami Beach Police Department spokesperson told the Miami Herald that Meiner's office flagged the Facebook post.
- The spokesperson told Axios the agency acted "[i]n light of recent national concerns regarding antisemitism, and out of an abundance of caution."
- MBPD described Pacheco's visit by Intelligence Unit detectives as "a brief, consensual encounter to ensure there was no immediate threat to the safety of the elected official or the community."
Friction point: Pacheco tells Axios she believes she was targeted for her past criticism of Meiner, including against his attempt to evict O Cinema for screening a documentary about the Israel-Palestine conflict.
The other side: In a statement Tuesday night, Meiner said the Facebook post was "false and without any factual basis," but that police wanted to "assess the level of threat and to protect the safety of all involved."
- "This is a police matter. I am a strong supporter of the State of Israel and it's right to defend its citizens. Others might have a different view and that is their right."
Editor's note: This story was updated to include statements from the Miami Beach Police Department and Mayor Steven Meiner.