Minneapolis Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Spray Attack, Arrest 1

Hakikul Islam Khokan

Democrat and Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was attacked with a spray (liquid substance) during a town hall meeting in Minneapolis, USA. On Tuesday night, January 27, a person present at the meeting held at a community center in North Minneapolis sprayed a strong-smelling spray using a syringe, according to witnesses. Khabar Ibn News.
During the incident, Ilhan Omar began his speech by calling for the complete abolition of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and calling for the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
According to eyewitnesses, a few minutes into the speech, a man in the audience suddenly stood up, shouted and sprayed a liquid from a syringe. Many people present said that the smell of that liquid was sour and like acid. After the incident, Ilhan Omar himself went towards the person. But immediately the security guards caught the accused and threw him on the ground. During the entire incident, many people present at the venue were terrified.
Some, including Minneapolis City Council member Latrisha Vetawa, asked Omar to cut the meeting short for safety reasons and undergo a medical examination. But Ilhan Omar rejected the request saying, "Give it ten more minutes. Please don't let them win this show."
Applause broke out in the courtroom as the accused was led out. Omar then said, "These ugly people don't understand, we are Minnesota Strong. I learned from a young age not to bow to threats." According to Minneapolis police, the accused man was arrested and sent to the Hennepin County Jail. He was charged with third-degree assault. The accused has been identified as Anthony James Kazmarchak (55).
According to police spokesman Trevor Folk, a forensic team arrived at the scene and collected samples. According to jail records, Kazmarczak has multiple past traffic convictions, including two convictions for driving while intoxicated in 2009 and 2010.
A CNN review found,Kazmarczak regularly shared political content on social media. He also posted a political cartoon opposing Ilhan Omar's stance on demanding police budget cuts in 2021. Most recently, she used a profile picture from an event at Turning Point USA with President Donald Trump.
Controversial comments of Trump: After this incident, President Donald Trump claimed without any evidence that Ilhan Omar had arranged this incident himself. "I don't think about him. He's a fraud. Maybe he sprayed himself," he told ABC News. He also said that he has not seen any video of the incident and has no interest in watching it. Notably, a few hours before the incident, at a rally in Iowa, Trump made hateful comments about Ilhan Omar's homeland, which has sparked renewed controversy.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the incident as "unacceptable". He wrote on social media, "There may be differences, but putting people's safety at risk is never acceptable." Meanwhile, the US Capitol Police said in a statement that the incident was "unacceptable" and swift legal action would be taken. The agency said it investigated about 9,500 threats and incidents of concern against members of Congress in 2024, bringing the total to about 15,000. Several members of Congress from the Republican Party also condemned the attacks. Representative Mike LaCollar of New York said, "There may be political differences. But this type of behavior cannot be tolerated in any way."
Ilhan Omar's reaction: Ilhan Omar told reporters after the meeting, "I survived the war. I cannot be stopped by intimidation or threats."
He later wrote on social media,"I'm fine. I don't let bullies win. Grateful for my amazing supporters—Minnesota Strong."