Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
Angry Activist Accosting Arias in Paso Robles Caught on Video
David Website Replacement
By David Taub, Senior Reporter
Published 4 years ago on
April 12, 2021

Share

A prominent right-wing activist engaged in a profane diatribe against a Fresno city councilman when both happened to be at the same Central Coast restaurant for lunch on Sunday.

Video from both parties showed Ben Martin yelling at councilman Miguel Arias while both men were eating with their respective groups. Arias says he is filing police reports over the incident.

“You are worthless. You don’t do your job right. You’re a horrible f****** person. Seriously. I hate that guy,” Martin said while confronting Arias at a table set up underneath a tent at the BarrelHouse Brewing Co. restaurant near Paso Robles.

Arias responded with “have a good day, brutha … enjoy your lunch.”

Martin continued with the insults as he returned to his table. He vowed to get Arias “thrown off that board.”

Confrontation Over Masks

In a Facebook post, Martin said he was upset over Arias’ stance on mask-wearing.

“City Councilman Miguel Arias is confronted by me for being a mask Nazi, a fraud, and a hypocrite! Pass it on,” Martin wrote.

No one in the video is seen wearing a mask. However, masks are not required while dining.

Arias accused Martin of making physical threats, not seen in the video.

“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. They subsequently returned to the dining area and threatened to smash my head into the cement when I departed the venue,” Arias said in a statement on Facebook.

Martin denied Arias’ account in an interview with GV Wireâ„ .

“I actually did not threaten at all,” Martin said. “I would never threaten anyone. I’m not a violent person at all. Not at all.”

Martin’s Version of the Story

Martin says eating at the same restaurant and the same time was coincidence.

“As soon as I noticed him, I went over and I approached him. I introduced myself as Ben Martin and I went to shake his hand. He says, I know who you are. And he said, I quote, ‘I’m not shaking your f******* hand,” Martin said.

Martin says he called Arias a hypocrite for policies that shut restaurants in Fresno, while dining with his party at the BarrelHouse.

“If you saw a city councilman who’s closed down the city, has voted against people be able to do outdoor dining, has as a completely different stance than you … wouldn’t you think it was hypocritical that he’s out behaving in a way that he openly contradicts for his own city?” Martin said.

Martin was unaware if he was asked to leave by the waitstaff, as Arias alleged. He was already in the process of going, Martin said.

Martin Known for Anti-Mask Protests

Martin has led demonstrations in the past, protesting Fresno businesses for enforcing a mask mandate. In January, police were called to keep the peace when Martin’s group protested at Sprouts Farmers Market. It was reported that the store filed a restraining order against Martin.

Arias said he plans to take action.

“I will file a complaint with the Paso Robles Police Department and San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department,” Arias said. “Additionally, I have notified the Fresno Police Department of this situation. I have and continue to take legitimate threats against my personal safety – and the safety of those with me – seriously. I will explore all legal options regarding this incident with Ben Martin.”

Messages left with both law enforcement agencies and the restaurant were not returned.

Martin is scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday for an unrelated temporary restraining order filed against him by his sister.

DON'T MISS

What to Know About Pam Bondi, Trump’s New Pick for Attorney General

DON'T MISS

North Korean Leader Says Past Diplomacy Only Confirmed US Hostility

DON'T MISS

Democrats Strike Deal to Get More Biden Judges Confirmed Before Congress Adjourns

DON'T MISS

Newsom Gaslights on Potential Gas Price Hikes in Fresno Visit

DON'T MISS

Automakers to Trump: Please Require Us to Sell Electric Vehicles

DON'T MISS

President Biden Welcomes 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics to White House

DON'T MISS

Ohtani Makes History With 3rd MVP, Judge Claims 2nd AL Honor

DON'T MISS

Trump Chooses Pam Bondi for Attorney General Pick After Gaetz Withdraws

DON'T MISS

Average Rate on a 30-Year Mortgage in the US Rises to Highest Level Since July

DON'T MISS

Cutting in Line? American Airlines’ New Boarding Tech Might Stop You at Now Over 100 Airports

UP NEXT

Fresno Council Lowers Speed Limits on Friant and Audubon

UP NEXT

Fresno Doctors Will Pay $2.4 Million to Settle Kickback Allegations, DOJ Says

UP NEXT

These Fresno Schools Are Unsafe and in Bad Condition. And No One Is Complaining

UP NEXT

What Will Happen to CNBC and MSNBC When They No Longer Have a Corporate Connection to NBC News?

UP NEXT

Bulldogs Stack Double-Doubles Like Burgers on a Plate to Beat Prairie View

UP NEXT

Major Storm Drops Record Rain, Downs Trees in Northern California After Devastation Further North

UP NEXT

Fresno County Men Arrested in Armed Robbery Near Sanger High, Sanger Academy

UP NEXT

Newsom Heads to Fresno, a County That Voted for Trump

UP NEXT

Conservative Professors and Students Are Beating CA Community Colleges in Court

UP NEXT

Suspect Arrested After Oakhurst Crime Spree Leaves K9 Injured

David Taub,
Senior Reporter
Curiosity drives David Taub. The award-winning journalist might be shy, but feels mighty with a recorder in his hand. He doesn't see it his job to "hold public officials accountable," but does see it to provide readers (and voters) the information needed to make intelligent choices. Taub has been honored with several writing awards from the California News Publishers Association. He's just happy to have his stories read. Joining GV Wire in 2016, Taub covers politics, government and elections, mainly in the Fresno/Clovis area. He also writes columns about local eateries (Appetite for Fresno), pro wrestling (Off the Bottom Rope), and media (Media Man). Prior to joining the online news source, Taub worked as a radio producer for KMJ and PowerTalk 96.7 in Fresno. He also worked as an assignment editor for KCOY-TV in Santa Maria, California, and KSEE-TV in Fresno. He has also worked behind the scenes for several sports broadcasts, including the NCAA basketball tournament, and the Super Bowl. When not spending time with his family, Taub loves to officially score Fresno Grizzlies games. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, Taub is a die-hard Giants and 49ers fan. He graduated from the University of Michigan with dual degrees in communications and political science. Go Blue! You can contact David at 559-492-4037 or at Send an Email

Newsom Gaslights on Potential Gas Price Hikes in Fresno Visit

6 hours ago

Automakers to Trump: Please Require Us to Sell Electric Vehicles

7 hours ago

President Biden Welcomes 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics to White House

7 hours ago

Ohtani Makes History With 3rd MVP, Judge Claims 2nd AL Honor

7 hours ago

Trump Chooses Pam Bondi for Attorney General Pick After Gaetz Withdraws

8 hours ago

Average Rate on a 30-Year Mortgage in the US Rises to Highest Level Since July

8 hours ago

Cutting in Line? American Airlines’ New Boarding Tech Might Stop You at Now Over 100 Airports

8 hours ago

MLB Will Test Robot Umpires at 13 Spring Training Ballparks Hosting 19 Teams

8 hours ago

Death Toll in Gaza From Israel-Hamas War Passes 44,000, Palestinian Officials Say

9 hours ago

Jussie Smollett’s Conviction in 2019 Attack on Himself Is Overturned

9 hours ago

What to Know About Pam Bondi, Trump’s New Pick for Attorney General

NEW YORK — Pam Bondi, the former Florida attorney general, was chosen Thursday by Donald Trump to serve as U.S. attorney general hours after...

5 hours ago

5 hours ago

What to Know About Pam Bondi, Trump’s New Pick for Attorney General

6 hours ago

North Korean Leader Says Past Diplomacy Only Confirmed US Hostility

6 hours ago

Democrats Strike Deal to Get More Biden Judges Confirmed Before Congress Adjourns

6 hours ago

Newsom Gaslights on Potential Gas Price Hikes in Fresno Visit

President Joe Biden with Mary Barra, the chief executive of General Motors, at the Detroit Auto Show, Sept. 14, 2022. President-elect Donald Trump has promised to erase the Biden administration’s tailpipe rules designed to get carmakers to produce electric vehicles, but most U.S. automakers want to keep them. (Doug Mills/The New York Times)
7 hours ago

Automakers to Trump: Please Require Us to Sell Electric Vehicles

7 hours ago

President Biden Welcomes 2024 NBA Champion Boston Celtics to White House

7 hours ago

Ohtani Makes History With 3rd MVP, Judge Claims 2nd AL Honor

Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi, speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally at First Horizon Coliseum, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, in Greensboro, NC. (AP/Alex Brandon)
8 hours ago

Trump Chooses Pam Bondi for Attorney General Pick After Gaetz Withdraws

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend