Council for American-Islamic Relations Evacuated After Receiving Package Containing a ‘Foreign Substance’
The Council for American-Islamic Relations announced on Twitter a short time ago that their D.C. office has been evacuated after receiving a suspicious package earlier today.
CAIR Capitol Hill office evacuated by police after "foreign substance" received in mail. https://t.co/weCXbRzse2
— CAIR National (@CAIRNational) December 10, 2015
Spokesman Ibrahim Hooper told the Washington Post that they contacted the authorities after a staff member opened an envelope that contained white powder. Several people who were close to the package were quarantined inside, while the rest of the office cleared out of the building.
“We get threats every day,” Hooper said. “We don’t always get substances in the mail.”
The organization, which advocates for Muslim rights and tracks anti-Islamic discrimination, later posted a video from the scene to their Instagram account.
This story is developing, and we shall update accordingly as information becomes available.
UPDATE – 3:03 P.M. EST First reports have come back on the powder, suggesting it does not pose a threat, and the package only contained hate mail:
Initial field test has tested negative at #CAIR substance has been handed over to the #FBI according to spokesman
— John Shinkle (@jnshinkle) December 10, 2015
Envelope to CAIR with suspicious substance also contained hate message, CAIR comms director says
— CJ Ciaramella (@cjciaramella) December 10, 2015
[image via screengrab]
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