Ilhan Omar invited Aliya Rahman to the State of the Union, where Rahman proceeded to demonstrate by refusing to sit. After repeated instructions from Capitol Police to sit, she continued to stand. Rahman had to be forcibly removed because she wouldn’t go voluntarily.
The Mainstream Media
The Guardian said she was removed for standing.
IBT
Who Is Aliya Rahman? Severely Injured ICE Victim Thrown Out Of Trump’s State Of The Union Speech
After being removed from Trump’s State of the Union, Aliya Rahman’s story of ICE, disability, and “fraud” claims in Minnesota sparks a national debate over truth.
Newsweek
Ilhan Omar guest arrested after allegedly disrupting the State of the Union
Times Now
Who Is Aliya Rahman? Ilhan Omar’s Guest Representative Injured, Arrested During Trump’s State Of The Union Speech
Time
Ilhan Omar Guest at SOTU, arrested for Standing: What to Know
The New Republic
Minneapolis Woman Targeted by ICE Arrested at Trump State of the Union, Aliya Rahman, arrested at Capitol: ‘Every time you try to break my body, you fuel my spirit.’
South Hill Enterprise
Who Is Aliya Rahman? How Ilhan Omar’s Guest Went From Capitol Gallery to Police Custody
The True News
In one article, Rahman is quoted as saying she is autistic and has a brain injury. This is her second demonstration. If she is so handicapped, she shouldn’t be involved in demonstrations.
Her first demonstration was her refusal to obey ICE orders. You will hear over and over that she is a citizen and a Minneapolis resident, suggesting ICE arrested her because they thought she was in the country illegally. That wasn’t the case. She was breaking the law when ICE removed her. This took place during the shooting of Renee Good.
During Donald Trump’s speech, Rahman began demonstrating, which violated the event’s rules, according to the Capitol Police.
“The guest was told to sit down but refused to obey our lawful orders,” the police said in a statement. “It is illegal to disrupt Congress and demonstrate in the congressional buildings.”
She was “told to sit down but refused to obey our lawful orders.” The police added, “She was given a citation release, which is routine.”
Rahman told the Pinkos during a Democracy Now broadcast on Wednesday that she had been standing silently before she was arrested. You can’t stand blocking people’s view, and you can’t demonstrate in this venue at this time. That is the rule.
When asked about Rahman’s claim that she was standing silently, a Capitol police spokesperson told the Guardian in an email, “It’s not allowed. She was told to sit. She refused. It’s simple.”
In a statement:
Omar called for an investigation into the arrest. “My guest, Aliya Rahman, stood up silently in the gallery during the president’s speech for a short period of time, part of which other guests were also standing. For that, she was forcibly removed, despite warning officers about her [allegedly] injured shoulders, and ultimately charged with ‘unlawful conduct,'” she said.
Alexa Van Brunt, Aliya Rahman’s attorney and the director of the MacArthur Justice Center, said in a statement to Newsweek: “
Aliya Rahman was targeted at the State of the Union last night. After standing up in silence during the speech, Aliya was quickly taken away and arrested for ‘unlawful conduct’ and released just before 4 a.m. today. There is nothing unlawful about standing in silence, and this is a blatant abuse of power. She was not disruptive or disrespectful. She was not holding a sign, making gestures, or wearing protest gear. She was simply standing in silence.”
Van Brunt is left-wing. She is tied to Injustice Watch.
Injustice Watch is a left-of-center media outlet focused on the judicial system in Cook County, Illinois. It has received substantial funding from the left-of-center Tawani Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
The U.S. Capitol Police said in a statement to Newsweek:
“All State of the Union tickets clearly explain that demonstrating is prohibited.” At approximately 10:07 p.m., a person in the House Gallery started demonstrating during tonight’s State of the Union Address. The guest was told to sit down, but refused to obey our lawful orders.
“It is illegal to disrupt the Congress and demonstrate in the Congressional Buildings, so 43-year-old Aliya M. Rahman of Minneapolis, Minnesota, was arrested for D.C. Code §10-503.16—Unlawful Conduct, Disruption of Congress.”
The mainstream media is overwhelmingly on Rahman’s side and mostly goes with her version of events.
Representatives Omar and Tlaib sat next to each other, screaming out insults during the SOTU. Tlaib wore a “F*ck ICE” pin.
