Critic of Miami Beach mayor gets police visit over Facebook comment

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — A Miami Beach political activist got an unexpected knock on her door Monday over a comment she made to and about Mayor Steven Meiner on Facebook.

Raquel Pacheco, a local activist and veteran who once ran for city commission and as a Democratic state Senate candidate, said she was stunned when Miami Beach detectives knocked on her door Monday, asking about a comment she made on one of the mayor’s Facebook posts.

“He said, ‘We are here to talk to you about a Facebook comment’ and I said – ‘What? Is this really happening?” Pacheco told Local 10 News

Pacheco had commented on a post by the mayor, who is Jewish, that proclaimed Miami Beach “a safe haven for everyone,” in contrast to New York City, which he claimed is “intentionally removing protections” for and “promoting boycotts” of Israeli and Jewish businesses.

Pacheco wrote back, “The guy who consistently calls for the death of all Palestinians, tried to shut down a theater for showing a movie that hurt his feelings, and REFUSES to stand up for the LGBTQ community in any way (even leaves the room when they vote on related matters) wants you to know that you’re all welcome here,” punctuating her post with three clown emojis.

She recorded the brief exchange with the detective who came to speak with her about the post.

Pacheco is heard asking, “Am I being charged with a crime?” and “So you are here to investigate a statement I allegedly made on Facebook?”

She later added, “This is freedom of speech. This is America, right?”

Pacheco believes what happened was not about safety, but politics.

“It is an intimidation tactic,” Pacheco said. “The mayor knows who I am very well.”

She added, “He knows I am a very loud, vocal activist in this community. I call into commission meetings. They knew exactly who they were picking on.”

In the video, the detective is heard saying, “What we are just trying to prevent is somebody else getting agitated or agreeing with the statement, we are not saying if it’s true or not.”

“So that, to me, is a clear indication that people are not allowed to agree with anyone but the mayor and that is not how America works,” Pacheco said. “I don’t agree with him and I am going to continue to voice that.”

A Miami Beach police spokesperson said, “In light of recent national concerns regarding antisemitism…as a precautionary measure, Intelligence Unit detectives conducted a brief, consensual encounter to ensure there was no immediate threat to the safety of the elected official or the community.”

“When they wrote our constitution, the founding fathers wanted people to be able to voice their opinions,” legal analyst David Weinstein said.

It comes amid a national conversation about censorship and free speech in America.

Take the recent, brief suspension of “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” which raised First Amendment issues.

The First Amendment, which doesn’t apply to private companies, does protect all Americans from government interference.

“Refrain from posting things like that,” the detective advised in the video, telling Pacheco that her comment about Meiner’s views on Palestinians, “can probably incite somebody to do something radical.”

The U.S. Supreme Court, in the 1969 Brandenburg vs. Ohio decision, established a two-prong test for when inflammatory speech crosses a line.

Speech can be prohibited if directed at and “likely” to incite or produce “imminent lawless” action.

Pacheco, who said she was just “calling out” Meiner’s “hypocrisy,” doesn’t think her remarks meet that at all.

“It doesn’t pass the sniff test ― not from a mile away,” she said. “But it sure indicates how thin his skin is.”

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