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Attack on Ilhan Omar at Minneapolis event
Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unidentified liquid during a town hall meeting on Tuesday, Minneapolis police confirmed. The assailant used a syringe to project the substance toward her while she addressed constituents.
Omar unharmed, continues event
Omar, a Democrat, remained uninjured and resumed speaking after the incident. In a post on X, she stated, "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."
A BBC journalist present at the venue reported that the liquid emitted a pungent, chemical-like odor.
Suspect charged, motive unclear
Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, was arrested at the scene and charged with third-degree assault. He remains in custody, according to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office.
Footage from the event shows security personnel shouting "make a hole" as they restrained Kazmierczak. While being escorted out, he shouted that Omar was "pitting us against each other," though his exact target remained ambiguous.
Community and political reactions
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the attack on social media, stating, "Violence and intimidation have no place in Minneapolis. We can disagree without putting people at risk... This kind of behavior will not be tolerated in our city."
Attendee Alfred Flowers Jr. told the BBC he admired Omar's resilience, saying, "I respected her courage and strength to still stay and finish the town hall for the people."
Omar's response and event context
Despite pleas from officials to end the event, Omar insisted on continuing. "We're gonna keep talking. Just give me ten minutes. Please don't let them have the show," she told the audience.
The town hall, held in a north Minneapolis basement with roughly 100 attendees, focused on federal immigration enforcement. Omar had just called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and demanded the resignation or impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem when the attack occurred.
Recent tensions over immigration enforcement
The event followed two fatal shootings of U.S. citizens by immigration officials this month. In January, ICE officers killed Renee Good, and last week, border agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, sparking protests and public outrage.
Many local residents view the heightened enforcement as retaliation against Omar, a frequent critic of former President Donald Trump. Trump has repeatedly targeted Omar, including a January 18 post on Truth Social calling for her imprisonment or deportation to Somalia, which he described as "one of the absolutely worst countries in the World."
On Tuesday, Trump claimed his administration would "de-escalate a little bit" in Minnesota, where the largest Somali immigrant population in the U.S. resides.
