A crowd of protesters and counterprotesters gathered at Minneapolis City Hall on Saturday afternoon in response to out-of-state right-wing influencer Jake Lang’s presence.
Lang, a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter, was surrounded by a few supporters and many protesters opposing his rhetoric. An armored police vehicle and officers in tactical gear were present, instructing protesters, at times, to stay off the streets.
Jasen Johnson joined Lang’s “Crusader March” from greater Minnesota. The group leaned on anti-Muslim rhetoric in support of massive ongoing immigration enforcement efforts in the Twin Cities.
“God bless America, God bless President Trump and God bless legal immigration,” said Johnson.
Drew Harmon of Minnesota 50501 said, “People are worried about these people who are coming into our towns because they’re solely looking to disrupt things… and to harm people who are here defending our immigrant community.”
Lang’s message was largely drowned out by counterprotesters and music, with the majority of signs signaling support for Minneapolis’ Muslim, Somali and immigrant communities.
As some members of the crowd began to march later in the afternoon, tensions rose. CHOPPER 5 was overheard and caught video as someone appeared to hit or push Lang before he landed on the ground.
Another video from MostlyPeaceful.Media showed people repeatedly kicking a man said to be Lang while he was inside a vehicle.
Organizers of the larger “Defend Our Neighbors” counter protest said they “firmly stand in non-violence” and chose not to march to avoid escalation.
An organizer noted that people joined in from various locations throughout the afternoon, leaving it unclear who was responsible for the apparent assaults.
During an earlier interview, Harmon said peace was the message all along.
“We are very committed to non-violence and not taking the bait… We want them to see us standing strong and with resolve and discipline,” he said.
A Minneapolis Police Department spokesperson said MPD was aware of social media reports of Lang being assaulted, but no official report has been filed. They encouraged anyone who experienced assaultive behavior to report it. As of this report, no arrests have been made.
As for other injuries, the MPD spokesperson said, officers “did observe individuals who appeared to be injured. These individuals left the area before MPD could make contact with them. Currently, there have been no injuries reported by victims to MPD.”
