1 arrested in spray attack on Congresswoman Ilhan Omar in Minneapolis

US Correspondent:

Democrat and Muslim Congresswoman Ilhan Omar was sprayed with a liquid during a town hall meeting in Minneapolis, USA. Witnesses said a man using a syringe sprayed a strong-smelling spray at the meeting held at a community center in North Minneapolis on Tuesday night, January 27. News IBNNews.

At the time of the incident, Ilhan Omar began her speech by calling for the complete abolition of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and called for the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Christy Noem.

According to witnesses, within minutes of the speech, a man sitting in the audience suddenly stood up, shouted and sprayed a liquid from a syringe. Many in the audience said that the liquid smelled pungent and acid-like.

After the incident, Ilhan Omar herself approached the man. However, security guards immediately grabbed the accused and threw him to the ground. Many people present at the meeting panicked during the entire incident. Some, including Minneapolis City Council member Latrisha Vetawa, asked Omar to shorten the meeting for safety reasons and get a medical examination. However, Ilhan Omar refused the request, saying, “Give me another 10 minutes. Please don’t let them win this show.”

The meeting room erupted in applause as the accused was led out. Omar then said, “These ugly people don’t understand that we are Minnesota Strong. I learned from a young age not to bow to threats.”

Minneapolis police said that the accused was arrested and sent to Hennepin County Jail.

He has been charged with third-degree assault. The accused has been named as Anthony James Kaczmarczyk (55).

According to police spokesman Trevor Folk, a forensic team arrived at the scene and collected samples. According to prison records, Kajamarczak has multiple previous traffic convictions, including two DUI convictions in 2009 and 2010.

A CNN review found that Kajamarczak regularly shared political content on social media. He also posted a political cartoon opposing Ilhan Omar’s stance on police budget cuts in 2021. He recently used a photo of himself with President Donald Trump at a Turning Point USA event as his profile picture.

Trump’s controversial comments: After the incident, President Donald Trump claimed, without providing any evidence, that Ilhan Omar had staged the incident. “I don’t think about her. She’s a fraud. She probably got sprayed herself,” he told ABC News. He also said that he had not seen any video of the incident and had no interest in watching it.

It should be noted that a few hours before the incident, Trump made hateful comments about Ilhan Omar’s homeland at a rally in Iowa, which has sparked new controversy. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the incident as “unacceptable.” He wrote on social media, “There may be differences of opinion, but putting people’s safety at risk is never acceptable.”

Meanwhile, the U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement that the incident was “unacceptable” and that legal action would be taken swiftly. The agency said it investigated nearly 9,500 threats and incidents of concern against members of Congress in 2024, out of a total of nearly 15,000. Several Republican members of Congress also condemned the attack. Representative Mike LeCollier of New York said, “There may be political differences. But this kind of behavior will never be tolerated.”

Ilhan Omar’s response: “I survived the war. I will not be stopped by intimidation or threats.” She later wrote on social media, “I am fine. I will not let bullies win. I am grateful to my amazing supporters—Minnesota Strong.”