U.S. lawmaker Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown substance during Minneapolis town hall

As Al Jazeera reports, the incident happened as Omar, a Democrat, was speaking about immigration policy and calling for the abolition of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

Video footage aired by C SPAN shows the man approaching the podium moments after Omar made those remarks. The attacker shouted, “You must resign,” before spraying a liquid at her.

Security officers quickly tackled the man to the ground. Omar was not injured, authorities said. The suspect, whose name has not been released, was arrested and charged with third-degree assault. Officials did not disclose what substance was used.

Despite concerns from people in the room that the liquid smelled unpleasant, Omar told supporters she was fine and briefly left the stage before returning to continue the event. Addressing the crowd, she said those trying to intimidate her would not succeed and described the audience response as a show of resilience.

After the meeting, Omar wrote on X:

“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.”

First elected to Congress in 2018, Omar represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District and is serving her third term.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that an economic blackout took place in Minnesota as a protest against ICE enforcement actions.