A man has been arrested after rushing the stage and spraying an unknown substance on Minnesota Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar as she held a town hall meeting slamming ICE.
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On Tuesday (January 27), Omar held a town hall meeting amid protests of ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) operations in the state. The meeting also arrived amid the Donald Trump administration’s latest immigration crackdowns.
During the meeting, Omar called for ICE to be abolished and to leave the state. She also called for the resignation or impeachment of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Omar said, “ICE cannot be reformed, it cannot be rehabilitated. We must abolish ICE for good. And DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment.”
Just as Omar completed her sentence on Noem, a man sitting in the front row jumped out of his seat. He rushed the podium, uttered some defiant words, and began spraying an unknown substance on the Minnesota congresswoman.
Omar jumped back, trying to duck the substance. She immediately then began charging for the man, just as a security guard tackled and dragged him out of the room. The concerned audience were left shocked, asking, “What is that?” “He sprayed something on her.” Omar said she didn’t know what the substance was.
Another person told her, “You need to go get checked. It’s not about him, it’s about your safety. It smells terrible.” Omar denied the concerned requests, demanding, “Just give me 10 minutes.” Hopping back on the microphone, she told the audience:
“We’re going to keep talking. Please don’t let them have the show. Here’s the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand. We are Minnesota strong and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us. Everybody settle down. I’m going to finish my remarks. It is important for me to continue to lead my Democratic colleagues in demanding her resignation.”
Ilhan Omar Doing ‘Ok’ After Man Rushes Stage And Sprays Unknown Substance On Her, Police Arrest Him On Suspicion Of Third-Degree Assault
Following the incident, police in Minneapolis said the man was arrested and booked into the Hennepin County Jail on suspicion of third-degree assault. Officials also said Minneapolis forensic scientists are testing the substance sprayed on Omar. Police confirmed the liquid came from a syringe that the man held.
Meanwhile, Omar, who wasn’t injured, confirmed she was doing “ok” on X. While taking to her personal account, she wrote:
“I’m ok. I’m a survivor so this small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work. I don’t let bullies win. Grateful to my incredible constituents who rallied behind me.
Minnesota strong.”
Additionally, on Omar’s government account, her team wrote:
“The Office of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) issued the following statement following the incident at her town hall in North Minneapolis.
‘During her town hall, an agitator tried to attack the Congresswoman by spraying an unknown substance with a syringe. Security and the Minneapolis Police Department quickly apprehended the individual. He is now in custody. The Congresswoman is okay. She continued with her town hall because she doesn’t let bullies win.'”
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