‘I Just Stood Up’: The Stunning Arrest Of Aliya Rahman At The State Of The Union
HuffPost
Rahman, who was Rep. Ilhan Omar’s guest, suspects her unprecedented punishment was related to her testifying to Congress about her brutal ICE detention in Minneapolis.
WASHINGTON – When President Donald Trump wished “happy birthday” to a World War II veteran who had just turned 100, Aliya Rahman stood up to clap.
When Trump made racist comments about Minneapolis’ Somali community, saying they hail from cultures “where bribery, corruption and lawlessness are the norm,” Rahman stood up again, not clapping, and saying nothing.
This is pretty standard fare for attending a State of the Union address, which Rahman did on Tuesday night, as the guest of Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.). Knowing they’re on national TV, members of Congress spend the whole night calculating when to stand up and clap in support of something the president says, or when to decidedly not stand up, in a display of disagreement. Their guests and others seated in the balcony above sometimes stand up at moments, too.
Except on Tuesday, Rahman was arrested for it.
It’s as bonkers as it sounds. Rahman, a Bangladeshi American software engineer based in Minneapolis, says she and others seated near had already stood up several times before police officers approached her and told her she “couldn’t stand up.” She didn’t think they were serious, but moments later, they grabbed her by the shoulders and dragged her out.
