Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) spoke on Saturday at a Washington branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) fundraiser in Seattle, Washington, where security was tight and protesters showed up in support of Omar and others came to condemn her antisemitic remarks.

On Monday, Liberation, the Newspaper of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, announced it was behind the pro-Omar protests.

The local media outlet Crosscut reported:

In Bellevue, outside of Meydenbauer Center, both sides of the controversy that has followed Omar gathered on the pavement, with dozens facing each other and hurling angry accusations. The two groups were separated by approximately 30 police officers using their bikes as barricades to block any kind of physical contact. On one side, signs read: “We stand with our Muslim neighbors” and “Solidarity with Ilhan Omar.” On the other side was an assorted crew of critics organized by a group that calls itself Patriots of Washington. They included presidential supporters who sported “Make America Great Again” and “Trump 2020” hats and about a half-dozen Proud Boys, dressed in black polo shirts with gold trim.

The socialist newspaper expressed support for Omar and called Trump supporters at the protests “fascists.”

The “Patriots of Western Washington” and other fascist, anti-Muslim organizations were countered by members of the newly formed coalition, Community & Labor Against Fascism, on the streets of downtown Bellevue. The fascist forces attempted to stand right by the main entrance to the venue; CLAF activists quickly moved in to hold the territory, holding signs reading “We stand with our Muslim Neighbors” and “We support Ilhan Omar-a brave woman.” CLAF continued to militantly and non-violently defend the area closest to the main entrance, even when police allowed hostile right-wingers to move out of what had become their “zone” and wade into the crowd of anti-fascists. As a result, police were forced to move the fascists back into their area and away from the anti-fascists and the event entrance. As CLAF activists sang “We Shall Not Be Moved,” an organizer with the Ilhan Omar event came out and thanked the anti-fascist demonstrators for their support.

“Community & Labor Against Fascism is proud to have been present at the Meydenbauer Center to show our support for Rep. Omar and everyone targeted by racists, bigots, and xenophobes,” CLAF said on its Facebook page. “Many of the individuals who came to the far-right counter-rally, including the notorious Proud Boys, have a track record of promoting white nationalism, misogyny, and violent attacks on anti-fascist protesters.”

“We will continue to organize community actions against these bullies and bigots, and we encourage all our friends and neighbors to join us,” the Facebook post said.

As Breitbart News has noted:

In 2007-8, CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the terror financing trial of the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development. That case, in turn, led the FBI to discontinue its work with the organization. In 2009, a federal judge ruled that the government “produced ample evidence to establish” the ties of CAIR with Hamas, the Palestinian terror organization. The United Arab Emirates labeled CAIR a terrorist organization in 2014 (a decision that the Obama administration opposed).

In addition:

The political action committee of CAIR in California donated the maximum of $5,000 to Omar’s 2018 campaign. In 2015, CAIR’s Los Angeles director suggested that the U.S. was partly to blame for the San Bernardino terror attack, in which 14 people were killed, due to American foreign policy. CAIR also offered legal assistance to the family of the terrorists who carried out the attack.

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