Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar attacked with ‘unidentified liquid’ at city hall

Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar was attacked with an unknown substance at a town hall she was hosting on Tuesday, with an audience member spraying liquid at her with a syringe, Minneapolis police said.

Omar was not injured and continued to speak. Police added that the man was immediately arrested and forensic examinations were being carried out at the scene.

“I thought one of her assistants came up and handed her a note or something,” Jacqueline Gosling said of the man who attacked Omar with the liquid, whose pungent smell filled the front of the room.

Omar said in a statement from

After the incident, Omar told those in the room, “We’re going to continue…we’re strong in Minnesota.”

Another attendee, Alfred Flowers Jr, told the BBC he “respected her courage and strength to stay and finish the town hall for the people”.

Video from the scene showed the team members shouting “dig a hole” while dragging the man out of the room.

As he was pushed out of the room, he said Omar was “pitting us against each other.” It was unclear who the man was referring to.

According to a BBC reporter in the room, the liquid he sprayed on Omar had a sour smell similar to a chemical product.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey posted on social media: “Violence and intimidation will not be tolerated in Minneapolis. We can express our dissent without putting people at risk… This behavior will not be tolerated in our city.”

In 2019, Omar became the first Somali American, the first African American, and one of the first two Muslim American women Served in the U.S. Congress.

The event, one of regular town halls hosted by Omar, was attended by about 100 people in a basement in north Minneapolis who wanted to hear about the presence of federal immigration officers in their town and ask questions after immigration officers shot and killed a U.S. citizen for the second time this month.

In January, an immigration officer shot and killed U.S. citizen Renee Goode. Last week, U.S. citizen Alex Pretti was shot dead after being stopped by border agents, sparking renewed local protests and public outcry.

At the town hall, Omar called for the “abolition” of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and said Homeland Secretary Kristi Noem should “resign or face impeachment.” It was after these comments that the man launched his attack.

Officials begged the councilwoman to end the town hall meeting, but she insisted on continuing.

Omar spoke again from the podium and said: “We’re going to keep talking. Give me ten minutes. Please don’t let them perform. Please don’t let them perform.”

Many in the region believe the increased immigration enforcement is a response to President Donald Trump’s dislike of Omar, whom he has called a “radical left-wing lunatic.”

On Tuesday, Trump said in response to a second fatal shooting that his administration was “The situation will ease slightly” in Minnesota.

Additional reporting by Christina Walker.