The San Francisco Bay Area office of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-SFBA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization, today welcomed the plea and sentencing of a South San Francisco man who threatened to kill pro-Palestinian protesters and spat in the face of a demonstrator at a peaceful rally.
SEE: South City man gets jail time for hate crime against pro-Palestinian protesters
On Tuesday, Kent Keenan pleaded no contest to battery and admitted the hate crime allegation. San Mateo County Superior Court sentenced him to 30 days in county jail, two years of supervised probation, and 75 hours of public service work.
The April 10, 2024, incident occurred outside the South San Francisco Public Library, where members of Change SSF were holding a ceasefire rally. According to prosecutors, Keenan approached the group, screamed profanities, spat in the face of one demonstrator, and told others, “I’m going to kill all you Palestinians” and “I want all you people dead. Bomb Palestine.” The tirade was captured on camera.
In a statement, CAIR-SFBA Executive Director Zahra Billoo said:
“Threatening to kill Palestinians, spitting on a protester, and trying to intimidate people out of calling for a ceasefire is not protected speech. It is hate, and we welcome this plea and sentencing as an important measure of accountability.
“No one should be assaulted or threatened because they speak out for Palestinian human rights. This case shows exactly why anti-Palestinian hate must be taken seriously, especially when it is directed at people exercising their First Amendment rights.
“We thank the protesters who documented this attack and continued organizing despite the hate directed at them. We also thank the prosecutors who brought this case and treated these threats with the seriousness they deserved.”
CAIR’s 2026 civil rights report documented 8,683 complaints nationwide in 2025—the highest annual number the organization has recorded—including hate incidents and discrimination tied to anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian rhetoric.
CAIR-SFBA continues to urge anyone who experiences anti-Palestinian racism, Islamophobia, threats, harassment, or discrimination to contact its civil rights department.
CAIR-SFBA is an office of CAIR, America’s largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organization. Its mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, protect civil rights, promote justice, and empower American Muslims.
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CONTACT: CAIR-SFBA Communications Manager Lorrie Adam, 408.498.5779, [email protected]