For someone who found herself on the receiving end of a terrorist attack on American soil, Pamela Geller can’t seem to catch a break from some, including the mayor of the city where the attack occurred.

Garland, Texas, Mayor Douglas Athas ripped the American Freedom Defense Initiative co-founder, telling the Dallas Morning News he wished she hadn’t picked his city to hold a “Draw Muhammad” free speech event, saying she put police “at risk.”

“Certainly in hindsight, we as a community would be better off if she hadn’t,” he said.

“Her actions put my police officers, my citizens and others at risk,” Athas added. “Her program invited an incendiary reaction. She picked my community, which does not support in any shape, passion or form, her ideology.

That ideology being a proponent of free speech?

“But at the end of the day, we did our jobs,” the mayor said. “We protected her freedoms and her life.”

Note that Hizzoner did not identify the two Muslim extremists armed with AK-47s who were killed in the attack as risks to his beloved city, but those peacefully exercising their First Amendment rights.

Amid all the criticism in the wake of the attack, Geller refused to back down, saying Sunday’s incident showed how important it is to stand up for the right to free speech.

And she didn’t take too kindly to Athas’ remarks.

“That’s like saying that the pretty girl was responsible for her own rape,” she said during an interview with the BBC.

“The mayor is going after the defenders of free speech and clearly giving a free pass to the savages who came with guns who came to kill innocent people.”

Judging by the reaction on social media, there were plenty who agreed with Geller. Here is a sampling from Twitter:

@jtLOL @DailyCaller Sorry mayor. Sounds like someone needs to run against you in the next election.

— Corduroyalist (@Corduroyalist) May 6, 2015

@jtLOL @DailyCaller Garland mayor can go run another city in another country–perhaps would prefer SHARIA?

— Szcinski Cruz216 (@DHoltSzcinski) May 6, 2015

I wonder if the Garland Mayor believes these guys ‘invited an incendiary reaction’. @JessicaChasmar pic.twitter.com/hSoSRAGp4N

— Huxley’s Ghost (@AF632) May 6, 2015

@dallasnews With cowardice like that, maybe Garland residents will decide they’d be better off without the mayor.

— Diworsity (@Diworsity) May 6, 2015

@HouseCracka Next the mayor of Garland will close the Carte Blanche Casino … and all the bars.

— Tom McGovern (@jefe_viejo) May 6, 2015

@Mediaite The Garland Mayor is a chicken and needs to check his balls I will move back to Garland to vote you out

— Rich Ollar (@RichOllar) May 6, 2015

@JessicaChasmar @AdamBaldwin Time for Garland to elect a new mayor. Glad I passed on buying a house there

— Chris Gallegos (@cryangallegos) May 6, 2015

>>>> @DouglasAthas <<<< Garland Mayor trashing Pamela Geller instead of standing for the 1st amendment or trashing ISIS.

— Ulysses (@Just_a_Texan) May 6, 2015

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Tom Tillison

Senior Staff Writer
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The longest-tenured writer at BizPac Review, Tom grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills.

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