Western Wisconsin’s congressman says he was assaulted at Milwaukee’s Republican National Convention, but a protest group disagrees.
Republican Congressman Derrick Van Orden took social media Tuesday to say a protester with the group Code Pink assaulted him while he was standing in line at the RNC.
“While standing in line to enter an event at the RNC today, I was assaulted by what appeared to be a member of the pro-Hamas group CODEPINK. A nearby police officer witnessed this assault and I understand they have been arrested,” Van Orden, a former Navy SEAL, said. “This appears to be an incident of political violence and I will never tolerate this. Regardless of the severity of the violence, political violence is political violence.”
Milwaukee police told The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that a 24-year-old woman “battered the victim,” referring to Van Orden, and was arrested. Van Orden “sustained minor injuries and refused medical attention on scene,” police told the newspaper.
Code Pink almost immediately said Van Orden was the one who bumped into who they called a “visibly Palestinian” woman.
“CODEPINK’s Palestine Organizer Nour [Jaghama] has been unjustly arrested at the RNC after a congressman shoved past her and had her arrested on false charges of ‘assault,’” Code Pink said in a tweet of its own.
Milwaukee Police questioned Jaghama, then were later seen taking her away.
The department says the incident is “under investigation.”
Van Orden said the incident is just the latest example of violence from the Left.
“Republicans have been intimidated and targeted for years, including the attempted assassination of President Trump and we will no longer standby and allow lawlessness,” he said. “There is no place for political violence in this country and I have repeatedly called for people who choose this path to be prosecuted to the greatest extent of the law.”
The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday that charges in the case are “under review.”
Van Orden was in line for an event at the Pfister Hotel at the time. It’s not clear if the Code Pink protester was going to the same event or was just standing in line.
Van Orden has been a target for protesters. He is in the middle of a race for his second term in Congress for Wisconsin’s Third Congressional District.
