Ammon News - Minnesota Representative Ilhan Omar was attacked with an unknown substance at a town hall 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. The man was immediately arrested and forensics were being conducted at the scene, police added.

"I thought it was one of her aides going up to hand her a note or something," Jacquelynn Goessling said of the man that attacked Omar with liquid, the acrid smell of which consumed the front of the room.

In a statement on X, Omar said: "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."

After the incident, Omar, Democrat, told the room that "we will continue... we are Minnesota strong".

As he was pushed out of the room, he said that Omar was "pitting us against each other". It was not immediately clear who the man was referring to.

The liquid he sprayed on Omar had a sour smell that was similar to a chemical product, according to a BBC journalist in the room.

In 2019, Omar became the first Somali-American, first African-born American, and one of the first two Muslim American women to serve in the US Congress.

BBC