‘You are garbage.’ Anti-mask protester verbally attacks Fresno official at Paso Robles brewery
In an apparent coincidence, Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias and Fresno anti-masker Ben Martin had a run-in Sunday at a Paso Robles brewery in which Martin shouted accusations at the elected official.
Martin may be familiar to Fresnans as the leader of a group of anti-maskers who shut down stores in north Fresno that required masks and who was the subject of a restraining order by Sprouts Farmers Market, which filed the request on behalf of the store’s manager.
Social media videos showed Martin standing at the edge of a table where Arias sat at Barrelhouse Brewing Co. as Martin shouted.
“You’re worthless. You don’t do your job right,” Martin said. “You’re a horrible f---ing person.”
To that Arias said, “Have a good day, brother.” He can also be seen holding up a peace symbol and smiling in one of the videos.
Martin goes on to say “you are garbage” and call Arias a “mask Nazi” who deals in “cancel culture,” according to a video posted on Martin’s Facebook page.
Arias has said he’s received hateful messages from people who are angry over Fresno’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Arias released a statement later on Sunday saying Martin tried to accost him.
“Fellow customers stood up to them and politely asked that they refrain from this aggressive behavior. Ben and his group refused to do so and a brave waitress escorted them off the premises,” Arias said. “They subsequently returned to the dining area and threatened to smash my head into the cement when I departed the venue.”
Arias said Monday he was at the brewery about 20 minutes before Martin showed up, recognized Arias and started shouting. Arias said he has never met Martin and there was no introduction before the shouting.
San Luis Obispo County, like Fresno County, is in the red tier of the state’s plan for re-opening businesses. Under that tier, the brewery is allowed to operate outdoors.
The council member compared Martin to “ultra right extreme groups” like the Proud Boys.
“(Martin) is still free to make terrorist threats with apparently no restrictions at all,” Arias said. “These groups represent a real threat to the public.”
Arias said he planned to file a complaint with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Office, and he notified the Fresno Police Department of the incident.
Martin could not be immediately reached for this report.
The incident was not Arias’ first run-in with online personalities who took exception to pandemic-related governing.
Arias was cited for an alleged misdemeanor battery after a group showed up to his apartment on May 12 blaming him for the businesses that are closed during the coronavirus pandemic. Video of the incident showed Arias pushing at least one person on the stairs to his apartment. His two young children were inside at the time.
The Fresno County District Attorney’s Office declined to pursue charges against Arias.
Among the people who confronted Arias during the May incident was Ben Bergquam, who runs a Facebook page called Frontline America.
This story was originally published April 12, 2021 at 11:12 AM with the headline "‘You are garbage.’ Anti-mask protester verbally attacks Fresno official at Paso Robles brewery."
