Democratic Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unidentified substance by a man during her first town hall meeting of the year in Minneapolis, an incident that did not interrupt the event after the legislator decided to continue her speech, according to journalists at the scene.
Omar had just started her intervention at a community center in the north of the city when a man, located in the front row, sprayed her with a liquid from a syringe.The aggressor was immediately subdued by security personnel and escorted out of the room, while attendees applauded his expulsion.
“I learned from a very young age that you should not give in to threats,” said Omar when he returned to address his constituents.
An AFP journalist present at the town hall indicated that the man was taken out of the room while Omar continued his speech.The congresswoman stated: “We will remain resilient to anything that is thrown at us.”
The episode occurred during a public assembly in Minneapolis, a city where two American citizens died this month in an offensive against immigration that generated protests and social tension.
The attack against Omar motivated reactions of condemnation from elected officials from different parties.Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called the incident “unacceptable.”
“Violence and intimidation have no place in Minneapolis. We can disagree without putting people at risk,” Frey declared, adding that such behavior “will not be tolerated in our city.”
From the Republican Party, South Carolina Congresswoman Nancy Mace expressed her repudiation of the attack.“I am deeply disturbed,” she said in a statement.
“As much as I vehemently disagree with their rhetoric — and I do — no elected official should be physically assaulted. This is not who we are,” Mace said.
Moments before the attack, Omar called for the abolition of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE) during her speech to attendees.
“Immigration and Customs Enforcement cannot be reformed. It cannot be rehabilitated. We must abolish it for good. And Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem must resign or face impeachment,” Omar said from the stand.
In images of the incident spread on social networks, people sitting behind the congresswoman suggested that she check herself before continuing, but she rejected the interruption.“Please don’t let them take away the show,” he said.
Then, Omar referred to the attacker without mentioning him by name.“This is the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand: we are strong in Minnesota and we will remain resilient to anything they throw at us,” he said.
At the end of the event, the congresswoman spoke with journalists and referred to the attack again.”I have survived the war. And I will definitely survive the bullying and whatever these people think they can throw at me, because that’s who I am,” he declared.
(With information from AFP)
