Rumors took off in June 2025 claiming Isra Hirsi, daughter of Minnesota Democrat Rep. Ilhan Omar, had posted a politically charged message on Instagram that many interpreted as calling for the downfall of Western powers. The phrase “death to the colonial empire” reportedly appeared on her story, sparking a firestorm across social media platforms.
The post in question was a repost of an image originally shared by another Instagram user, and it allegedly featured the line, “From LA to Rafah, there is one common oppressor. Death to the colonial empire. Life for our children.” It showed a group of children playing jump rope on a dusty road, and it drew parallels between the conflict in Gaza and protests in Los Angeles. The connection suggested by the post appeared to touch on the shared experience of oppression between Palestinians and marginalized groups in the US.
Because Instagram stories vanish after 24 hours unless saved, there’s been no verified copy of the alleged post from Hirsi’s own account. But that hasn’t stopped people from reacting — and reacting loudly.
The speculation really gained traction when an account called End Wokeness posted a screenshot of the story alongside a photo of Hirsi and her mother. It quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of views. It was then picked up by other users on X, including far-right activist Laura Loomer, who claimed Hirsi wanted “violence in the LA riots” and accused her of calling for the end of Western civilization. One user even went so far as to suggest she was calling for “a race war.”
Despite all the online noise, there’s still no solid proof Hirsi actually shared the post herself. Fact-checking site Snopes looked into it but couldn’t confirm the claim, mostly because the story had disappeared by the time they investigated. They did try to reach out to Hirsi through Instagram but hadn’t received a response.
However, they were able to trace the original post. It came from an Instagram account called @__public_library, run by someone named Amanda, who described herself as a writer, mother, care worker and a Muslim revert — a term some use to describe returning to Islam, based on the belief that all people are born with an innate Muslim nature. Her profile is full of content focused on the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with posts that often include poetic captions and political commentary.
On 8 June, she posted the exact image and wording that later appeared in the alleged Hirsi story. Her caption included lines like, “All empires must end in flames. From occupied ‘America’ to occupied Palestine,” further fuelling the political tone of the post.
Although it’s unclear whether Hirsi follows the account, she wouldn’t need to in order to reshare the content. What is known is that she’s been outspoken in her support for Palestine on her social media. When she graduated from Barnard College earlier this year, she posted a photo of herself holding a Palestinian flag during the ceremony, alongside the hashtag #FreePalestine.
i’m an organizer with CU Apartheid Divest @ColumbiaSJP, in my 3 years at @BarnardCollege i have never been reprimanded or received any disciplinary warnings
— isra hirsi (@israhirsi) April 18, 2024
i just received notice that i am 1 of 3 students suspended for standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide.
i’m an organizer with CU Apartheid Divest @ColumbiaSJP, in my 3 years at @BarnardCollege i have never been reprimanded or received any disciplinary warnings
— isra hirsi (@israhirsi) April 18, 2024
i just received notice that i am 1 of 3 students suspended for standing in solidarity with Palestinians facing a genocide.