UPDATE - US Congresswoman Ilhan Omar assaulted during Minneapolis town hall meeting

ADDS BACKGROUND

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON (AA) - US Representative Ilhan Omar was assaulted late Tuesday during a town hall meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota as she addressed constituents on the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown and the Department of Homeland Security.

The Minnesota Democrat was speaking when an unidentified man ran toward the podium and appeared to spray her with a clear liquid.

The man was tackled and restrained by security personnel. Omar appeared shaken but was not injured.

It was not immediately clear what the man was saying as he was removed from the room or what substance he used.

The incident occurred as Omar was criticizing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, calling for her resignation or impeachment, and discussing the abolition of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Following the disruption, Omar returned to the podium and continued speaking, despite people around her urging her to leave the room to be checked, with one person heard saying the liquid smelled “so bad.”

“We’re going to keep talking. Please, don’t let them have the show,” Omar said.

“Here’s the reality that people like this ugly man don’t understand — we are Minnesota strong, and we will stay resilient in the face of whatever they might throw at us,” she added.

“Everybody settle down. Gonna finish my remarks,” Omar said, adding: “It is important for me to continue to lead my Democratic colleagues in demanding her (Noem’s) resignation.”

The attack came hours after US President Donald Trump criticized Omar during remarks at an event in Iowa, making derogatory comments about her home country of Somalia, calling it a nation that’s a “disaster.”

Trump has repeatedly attacked Omar in recent months, calling her “garbage” during remarks targeting Somali immigrants.

Omar, who arrived in the US from Somalia as a refugee and later became a US citizen, condemned the comments at the time, accusing Trump of having a “creepy” obsession with her.