Left-Wing Group Clashes With Anti-Islam Protesters in Downtown Minneapolis; Patriotic Activist Stabbed

Image: Jihad Watch

A planned rally by a far-right activist backing the Trump administration’s intensified immigration crackdown was effectively overwhelmed on Saturday as hundreds of counterprotesters flooded the area, drowning out the event and forcing its organizers to retreat. The confrontation unfolded as Minnesota’s governor’s office confirmed that National Guard troops had been placed on standby to support law enforcement if needed, though they had not been deployed on city streets.

The demonstration came amid heightened tensions in the Twin Cities, where protests have erupted daily since the Department of Homeland Security significantly expanded immigration enforcement operations. More than 2,000 federal officers have been brought into Minneapolis and St. Paul, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from local activists and community groups and sparked sustained public opposition.

The rally was organized by conservative influencer Jake Lang, who promoted the gathering online as an anti-Islam, anti-Somali and pro-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) event. Ahead of time, Lang posted on social media that he intended to burn a Quran on the steps of City Hall, a statement that further inflamed opposition and contributed to the large counterprotest turnout. It remains unclear whether he followed through on that threat.

In the end, only a small group appeared in support of Lang’s demonstration, while hundreds of counterprotesters quickly surrounded the area. They shouted down Lang’s attempts to address the crowd and pursued members of the pro-ICE group as they tried to leave. During the chaos, at least one individual was forced by counterprotesters to remove a shirt they considered offensive.

As Lang departed the scene, he appeared to have sustained injuries, including visible bruises and scrapes on his head. The circumstances surrounding his injuries were not immediately clear.

Lang is a controversial figure who was previously charged with assaulting a police officer with a baseball bat, civil disorder and other offenses related to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He later received clemency as part of President Donald Trump’s broad pardon of January 6 defendants. More recently, Lang announced his intention to run for the U.S. Senate in Florida, a move that has drawn renewed attention to his past and his political ambitions.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)