\u201cThis Facebook post was protected speech, and it\u2019s not a close question \u2014 not remotely,\u201d said Daniel Tilley, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida. \u201cIn context, the actions and statements by government officials here are likely to have a chilling effect on those who would otherwise voice their critique of the government.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pacheco, a frequent critic of the Miami Beach mayor, said she didn\u2019t think much of a Facebook comment she wrote on January 7, in which she pointed out the mayor\u2019s hypocrisy over calling the city a safe haven for all.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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\u2019re all welcome here,\u201d she wrote, following up with three clown emojis.<\/p>\n
Pacheco\u2019s comment came in response to a post by Meiner in which he called out New York City for alleged antisemitism after Mayor Zohran Mamdani rescinded his predecessor\u2019s controversial executive orders on Israel. Meiner post echoed the Israeli government\u2019s response to Mamdani<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cOur city is consistently ranked by a broad spectrum of groups as being the most tolerant in the nation,\u201d Meiner wrote on January 6. \u201cBy contrast, certain places like New York City are intentionally removing protections against select groups, including promoting boycotts of Israeli\/Jewish businesses.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHe claims Miami Beach is a safe haven for everyone, but the post itself is addressed to a specific group of people.\u201d<\/p>\n Pacheco said she was irritated by the insinuation by Meiner that New York City was rife with antisemitism, or that Miami Beach was free of bias. So she fired back.<\/p>\n \u201cI was pointing to the hypocrisy of his statement,\u201d Pacheco told The Intercept. \u201cHe claims Miami Beach is a safe haven for everyone, but the post itself is addressed to a specific group of people and makes false allegations against NYC.\u201d<\/p>\n Meiner, who is Jewish, is a staunch supporter of Israel\u2019s war on Gaza. He has used his office to clamp down on pro-Palestine speech. In March of last year, Meiner sought to evict an independent cinema<\/a> from its city-owned space over plans to air \u201cNo Other Land<\/a>,\u201d a documentary on attempts by Israeli forces to demolish a Palestinian town in the occupied West Bank. Meiner called the Oscar-winning film<\/a> \u201chateful propaganda.\u201d<\/p>\n Pacheco acknowledged that Meiner may not have verbatim called for the death of all Palestinians, but said she was taking aim at his \u201cblind support for Israel\u201d and the connotations of that support in light of the genocide in Gaza.<\/p>\n \u201cHe may not have said it in those words, but that was my interpretation,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n We\u2019re independent of corporate interests \u2014 and powered by members. Join us. <\/p>\n Join Our Newsletter <\/p>\n Thank You For Joining! <\/p>\n \n Original reporting. Fearless journalism. Delivered to you. <\/p>\n Will you take the next step to support our independent journalism by becoming a member of The Intercept?\n <\/p>\n By signing up, I agree to receive emails from The Intercept and to the Privacy Policy<\/a> and Terms of Use<\/a>.<\/p>\n Pacheco said she thought little of the post until days later, on January 12, when a pair of plainclothes detectives with the Miami Beach Police Department knocked on her door wishing to discuss the post.<\/p>\n In the video of the interaction filmed by Pacheco and provided to The Intercept, Pacheco answers the door to a pair of officers, one of whom is holding a cellphone with a screenshot of Pacheco\u2019s Facebook post on the screen. One of the officers asks several times if Pacheco was the author of the post, but she declines to confirm.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019re just trying to prevent is someone getting agitated or agreeing with the statement,\u201d the officer says, before reading aloud from the post in which Pacheco accused Meiner of \u201cconsistently calling for the death of all Palestinians. \u201c<\/p>\n \u201cThat can probably incite someone to do something radical. That\u2019s what we\u2019re here to talk about,\u201d he says. \u201cI would think to refrain from posting things like that, because that could get something incited,\u201d he continues.<\/p>\n \u201cI appreciate your concern,\u201d Pacheco responds, while still declining to confirm that she was the author of the post and saying she would only answer questions with a lawyer. A few seconds later, the officers depart.<\/p>\n Shortly after the incident at her home, and after consulting with a lawyer, Pacheco decided to post the video of the police visit online, kicking off a local controversy in Miami Beach.<\/p>\n
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