Ilhan Omar Refuses to Be Intimidated After Attack During Town Hall Meeting

Thu Jan 29 2026 03:33:15 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Rep. Ilhan Omar, after being assaulted during a town hall event, asserted her resilience and commitment to her work, insisting that bullies will not deter her.

During a town hall event in Minneapolis, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar faced an attack where an audience member sprayed liquid at her using a syringe. Despite the incident, Omar declared her intent to continue her work, stating she would not be intimidated by bullies. Authorities have charged Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, with third-degree assault. Omar, a Democratic representative and a prominent critic of the Trump administration, has been vocal about immigration issues and local violence, making her a target for political attacks.

Minnesota congresswoman Ilhan Omar was attacked at an event she was hosting on Tuesday, when an audience member used a syringe to spray liquid at her, Minneapolis police said.

Omar was uninjured and continued to speak. 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, she later wrote on X.

Authorities have not yet identified what the liquid was, though reports indicate it had a sour smell similar to a chemical product.

Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, has been charged with third-degree assault and is being held in custody, the local sheriff's office said.

Omar, a Democrat who became in 2019 the first Somali-American to serve in the US Congress, is a fierce critic of US President Donald Trump.

During her event, she called for the abolition of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has faced scrutiny for its tactics.

Trump has frequently clashed with Minnesota's Democratic officials, often targeting Omar with personal attacks.

In response to a recent situation involving shootings in Minnesota, Trump said his administration would de-escalate a little bit. Omar's comments followed deadly incidents involving immigrants detaining through ICE.

An eyewitness praised Omar's resilience, commending her decision to continue despite the attack, affirming, We will continue... we are Minnesota strong. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called for the community to reject violence and intimidation.