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Gabriel Bell (April 24, 1987 – September 3, 2024) was a resident of Sanctuary District A in San Francisco on Earth, and regarded as the man responsible for the relatively peaceful resolution of the violent Bell Riots.
During the riots, Gabriel Bell guarded government hostages held by the rebellious residents in a district processing center. When government troops stormed the place, killing hundreds of residents, Bell gave his life to protect the hostages. His sacrifice made the Bell Riots one of the watershed events of the 21st century and led to the closure of the Sanctuary Districts across the United States of America.
In 2371, a transporter accident deposited Commander Benjamin Sisko, Dr. Julian Bashir and Lieutenant Jadzia Dax in San Francisco on August 30, 2024.
While there, they inadvertently caused an event that resulted in the death of Bell on the last night of August, before the riots, and so Sisko was forced to take his place to ensure that "Bell" would die three days later, and the Bell Riots would have the necessary effect on 21st century history.
Accordingly, in the current timeline, historical photos of Gabriel Bell are now the image of Benjamin Sisko. (DS9: "Past Tense, Part I", "Past Tense, Part II")
Oddly enough, Nog, studying a text on the Bell Riots, did notice a resemblance between Bell and Sisko. Quark said "all Humans look alike [to Ferengi]". (DS9: "Little Green Men")
The content of the historical text read:
- "Known as the Father of Earth's Post-Modern Reformism, Bell galvanized the people and government of the United States of America when he led an uprising in San Francisco's Sanctuary District "A." Besides arranging for food and medical supplies for the hostages, Bell was able to establish a wide broadcast data link through the planetary communications system, "Interface." Through this broadcast..."
Background
The original Gabriel Bell was played by John Lendale Bennett.
It should be noted, however, that as history records Sisko's image as that of Gabriel Bell, it could be that the real Bell was never actually meant to play the part history attributes to him; Sisko may have always been destined to assume a leadership role in the "Bell" Riots as Bell. (No image of Bell was offered prior to Sisko's involvement, and in fact Sisko did not recognize him by face, so we can't be sure that historical records did not show Sisko as Bell all along.) In other words, Sisko's involvement could have been a predestination paradox.