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Man who squirted apple cider vinegar on Ilhan Omar is charged with assaulting and intimidating her (apnews.com)
submitted 6 months ago by to c/politics@lemmy.world
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The Justice Department has charged a man who squirted apple cider vinegar on Democratic U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar at an event in Minneapolis, according to court papers made public Thursday.

The man arrested for Tuesday’s attack, Anthony Kazmierczak, faces a charge of forcibly assaulting, opposing, impeding and intimidating Omar, according to a complaint filed in federal court.

Authorities determined that the substance was water and apple cider vinegar, according to an affidavit. After Kazmierczak sprayed Omar with the liquid, he appeared to say, “She’s not resigning. You’re splitting Minnesotans apart,” the affidavit says. Authorities also say that Kazmierczak told a close associate several years ago that “somebody should kill” Omar, court documents say.

Kazmierczak has a criminal history and has made online posts supportive of Donald Trump, a Republican.

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[+] -22 points 6 months ago (4 children)

While technically correct, I vehemently disagree. I'm on the opposite side of the political spectrum to this man, but if it had been a left-wing supporter going at Noem or Miller, then the left response would be "it's only a food product, it's just to make a point - look at what the Trump Administration is doing killing people". I think it's fair to let someone off with a warning if it's something innocuous.

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  • [–] 26 points 6 months ago (2 children)

    If it was an egg or roten fruit sure - something easily identifiable as harmless - but when you spritz something from a syringe - that does cross a line to me - you could see and hear the panic in the room of people understanding omar was not directly harmed but could be poisoned - that fear, the fear which interrupted and shortened her speech is what is criminal, just shy of terrorism, in my view

    If its not illegal, then we're going to go down a slippery slope of "im not touching you" style games, a line has tk be drawn and i place it here, somewhere between throwing a milkshale at someone as being a basic assult and spritzing someone with an unidentifiable fluid as being more than just assault

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  • [–] 12 points 6 months ago (1 child)

    Kim Jong Un's brother was killed by squirt guns filled with poison.

    The shooters thought they were pranking him. Some guy gave them plastic squirt guns and said "squirt that man we are gonna film it for the internet."

    The real assassin was never caught.

    Lots of women have been scarred for life by a splash of strong acid, primarily in the Muslim world.

    Squirting someone with a liquid is a terror attack.

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  • [–] -1 points 6 months ago* (1 child)

    Kim Jong Un’s brother was killed by squirt guns filled with poison.

    The key factor is "poison".

    Squirting someone with a liquid is a terror attack.

    Come on man, this is pretty fucking dishonest. You just equated apple cider vinegar with the acids used in those other attacks.

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  • [–] 5 points 6 months ago

    but if it had been a left-wing supporter going at Noem or Miller, then the left response would be...

    Even assuming you're correct, all that does is show that there are dickheads all across the political spectrum.

    I don't know if you're aware of the recent(ish) history of people squirting liquids into (especially Muslim) women's faces, but I fail to see how this is significantly different from running up and sticking a replica gun in her face.

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