Jake Lang arrested after Minneapolis protest descends into chaos
Eleven people were arrested in Minneapolis on Saturday after a rally organized by pardoned January 6 rioter Jake Lang descended into violent clashes with counter-protesters, according to police.
As reported by KSTP, Edward Jacob Lang, known as Jake Lang, had announced on July 24 that he would return to the city for a 'peaceful freedom of speech rally' outside Minneapolis City Hall.
He said Shiloh Hendrix, who was convicted earlier this year of directing racial slurs at an eight-year-old autistic girl at a Rochester playground, would be a guest, though it remains unclear whether she actually attended.
The chaos began when Lang, 31, arrived at City Hall shortly before midday with six others split across two vehicles.
Advert
Interim Police Chief Bill Peterson said officers had anticipated the event and stationed a 'significant number of personnel' around barriers designed to keep demonstrators separated from traffic.
That plan unraveled when both vehicles unexpectedly veered onto the sidewalk toward a crowd of people.
What happened at Jake Lang's Minneapolis rally?
Although the vehicles were moving slowly, they were quickly surrounded by members of the crowd.
"Almost immediately, a confrontation developed between members of the crowd and individuals associated with both vehicles," Peterson said at a press conference, adding that chemical irritant believed to be mace was deployed by people on both sides.
Officers moved in to order the vehicles off the sidewalk, and Peterson said several were assaulted with thrown objects in the process.
Three officers sustained non-life-threatening injuries, including one who was hospitalized and later released.
Once a path was cleared, police allowed both vehicles to leave the immediate area, but each was tracked down and pulled over shortly after with the help of other agencies.
Minnesota State Patrol stopped the first vehicle near Washington Avenue and I-35W, resulting in the arrests of Eric Wayne Dawson, 53, Stephen Edward Major, 42, and Matthew Pike Oduguwa, 33, on probable cause riot charges. Oduguwa was hospitalized for chest pain before being cleared and booked into Hennepin County Jail.
Bloomington Police stopped the second vehicle near Lindau Lane and IKEA Way, arresting Charles Oscar Miles Jr., 73, John William-Kei Irwin, 32, Jayden Daniel Scott, 23, and Lang himself.
Lang was also taken to hospital for what police described as a non-life-threatening injury unrelated to his arrest, before being booked into Hennepin County Jail.
Who is Jake Lang?
Lang is a January 6 Capitol rioter who received a presidential pardon.
His return to Minneapolis followed a previous appearance on January 17 during 'Operation Metro Surge', which also drew clashes with protesters over his anti-Muslim rhetoric.
Four more people were arrested separately outside City Hall: Tanner Duncan, 29, for disorderly conduct and obstructing legal process; William Nicholas Love, 33, for assault; Matthew Norby, 37, on probable cause riot; and Lucas Kaducak, 22, for disorderly conduct.
Norby was also taken to hospital for chest pain before being jailed.
Peterson said the decision to drive onto the sidewalk was what triggered the entire incident.
"That was the primary law that was broken to start the whole thing off," he said.
"Any time there is crowds of people gathered, the last thing we want to see is vehicles driving towards them when we don't know their whole intentions."
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned Lang's actions while defending demonstrators' right to protest.
"People on both sides are able to express their First Amendment rights even when I find what they're saying to be abhorrent, and that's certainly the case with Jake Lang," Frey said.
"And all the same, if you're going to come in here, you're going to drive on the sidewalk, you're going to incite a riot, and you're going to be a problem for people's safety, then you're going to get arrested and that was exactly the case with Jake Lang."
Thomas Bamford