Ilhan Omar experienced an unsettling event when a man approached her and sprayed her with an unknown liquid from a syringe during a town hall meeting.
A video captured the unexpected moment when a man advanced towards Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar during a session on Tuesday.
The individual, who was part of the audience, used a syringe to spray a substance at her while shouting, as reported by the police.
Fortunately, Omar seemed unharmed, and the man was quickly detained as staff members attended to the congresswoman.
Shortly after the incident, Omar reassured the audience that the event would proceed. However, a staff member suggested she needed a health check to ensure her safety.
The man was seen being removed from the room, exclaiming that Omar was ‘pitting us against each other.’
The exact reference of his statement was unclear.
Following the event, Ilhan Omar’s office released a statement: “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.”
Omar also addressed the incident on her personal X page, stating she wouldn’t be intimidated by it.
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.”
A BBC journalist present during the event noted that the liquid sprayed on Omar had an odor resembling a chemical product, as reported by the BBC.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey criticized the incident on social media, emphasizing that such actions are unacceptable.
He stated: “Violence and intimidation have no place in Minneapolis. We can disagree without putting people at risk… This kind of behavior will not be tolerated in our city.”
During the town hall, Omar advocated for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and suggested that the Department of Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem should “resign or face impeachment.”
It was following this remark that the man initiated the attack on Omar, though his specific motives are still unknown at this time.
There is heightened tension in Minnesota, particularly after the recent shooting of two American civilians in interactions with ICE, sparking calls for increased accountability and the removal of agents from the city.