Man sprays US Democratic lawmaker Ilhan Omar with liquid, disrupting Minnesota event
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A man being tackled after spraying an unknown substance at US Representative Ilhan Omar (left) during a town hall in Minneapolis on Jan 27.
PHOTO: AFP
MINNEAPOLIS – The police arrested a man who sprayed US Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar with a foul-smelling liquid in Minneapolis on Jan 27 as she condemned the actions of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in Minnesota.
Ms Omar, the frequent target of political insults from US President Donald Trump, was uninjured. A security guard immediately grabbed the man and took him to the ground, according to a Reuters witness and video of the town hall event.
The police said they arrested the man for third-degree assault.
In her remarks, Ms Omar was criticising ICE and US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, demanding that Ms Noem resign after the recent shooting death of two US citizens
“ICE cannot be reformed, it cannot be rehabilitated, we must abolish ICE for good, and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment,” Ms Omar said, to applause.
Moments later, a man seated in the front row stepped towards her and sprayed her with the contents of what the police described as a syringe, telling Ms Omar: “You must resign.”
Ms Omar defiantly took a few steps towards him, with her hand raised, before he was subdued.
She continued her remarks after a short break, resisting associates’ urging to seek medical attention, saying she just needed a napkin. Her office later issued a statement saying she was okay.
Forensic scientists were gathering evidence at the scene, the Minneapolis police said in a statement.
A Reuters witness said the liquid smelled of ammonia and caused minor throat irritation.
“I learnt at a young age, you don’t give in to threats,” Ms Omar told the audience, after refusing to suspend the event. “You look them in the face, and you stand strong.”
US Representative Ilhan Omar said: “I learnt at a young age, you don’t give in to threats. You look them in the face, and you stand strong.”
PHOTO: BLOOMBERG
Mr Trump has repeatedly targeted Ms Omar in public remarks and social media posts, also taking aim at her Somali nationality. “Ilhan Omar is garbage,” Mr Trump said during a Cabinet meeting in December. “She’s garbage. Her friends are garbage.”
Ms Omar, 43, came to the US as a 12-year-old and became a citizen in 2000. REUTERS
