Mar 24, 2019

Protesters rally against Ilhan Omar during her speech at LA event

Rebecca Falconer

Ilhan Omar encountered protesters Saturday outside at a California fundraising event for an advocacy group representing Muslim-Americans. — Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

Hundreds of people gathered outside a Muslim-American civil rights group's Los Angeles fundraising event where Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) was giving a speech Saturday, the Associated Press reports.

The details: The protesters accused Omar of saying anti-Semitic remarks, according to ABC News7. Protesters held signs saying "burn the Koran," "Ilhan Omar go to hell," and “shame on you terrorists" at the Council of American-Islamic Relations of Greater Los Angeles event, a Los Angeles Daily News Ariella Plachta said in a Twitter post.

"A mix of MAGA hats, Jewish community members and Evangelical pro-Israel types," Plachta‏ tweeted.
A small group of counter-protesters displayed signs at the Woodland Hills event declaring "I stand with Ilhan." They told told ABC News7 the 37-year-old freshman Democrat was being unfairly targeted because she's black and Muslim.

The backdrop: Omar apologized in February for using language perceived as anti-Semitic while criticizing pro-Israel lobby's influence. There was further controversy this month when she suggested lawmakers and activists who support Israel hold "allegiance to a foreign country." The House passed a March resolution condemning anti-Semitism and other bigotry. The resolution was briefly delayed and language amended amid concern it unfairly singled out Omar.

Go deeper: House passes resolution condemning anti-Semitism, other bigotry

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Protesters rally against Ilhan Omar during her speech at LA event

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