Jake Lang Arrested After Minneapolis Rally Turns Violent
Minneapolis police arrested far-right activist Jake Lang on probable cause of riot after two vehicles drove onto a sidewalk toward a crowd near City Hall on Saturday, according to multiple reports. Officers from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) said Lang and his group arrived in two vehicles just before noon, and both vehicles drove onto the sidewalk in front of City Hall, where people were gathered. Officers intervened and directed the vehicles away from the area, then tracked them as they left. One vehicle was stopped near Washington Avenue and Interstate 35W, and the second in Bloomington. All occupants of both vehicles, including Lang, were arrested and the vehicles impounded. Police also reported four additional arrests near City Hall and said an officer was assaulted, taken to a hospital, and later released.
Rally and Clashes
The incident followed a rally organized by Lang that had been announced in late July as a "peaceful freedom of speech rally." The event was initially promoted as the "N-March" and drew counter-protesters to downtown Minneapolis, where clashes broke out near City Hall. Videos shared on social media and by local news outlets showed a car being attacked as it left the area, with Lang reportedly surrounded by protesters before departing in a vehicle. One video, shared by journalist Oliya Scootercaster, appeared to show a counter-protester being sprayed with a substance. Some counter-protesters alleged that members of Lang's group used pepper spray or bear spray. Police said that both Lang's group and counter-protesters deployed mace, but that no Minneapolis police officers used mace. The claims about bear spray could not be independently verified.
Spider-Man Punch and Arrests
In a widely circulated video, a person in a Spider-Man costume jumped onto a pickup truck linked to Lang and appears to strike him. Minneapolis police confirmed the person was William Nicholas Love, 33, and he was arrested and booked for assault. The MPD responded to online praise of Love, saying, "We confirmed who the individual is and that person was arrested for assault, so I don't know how that's a hero." Additional videos show Lang being yanked down and doused in liquid as counter-protesters pushed through police lines. Eleven people were arrested in connection with events outside City Hall, and three officers were injured, according to police reports.
Background
Lang is a far-right political activist and commentator who gained national attention for his participation in the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He was later pardoned. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey described Lang as a "far-right extremist and known racist" during a press conference. Lang is also a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate in Florida, according to one report. The rally was tied to Siloh Hendrix, a woman who used a racial slur in 2025, though it was unclear if she attended.
The Minneapolis rally came days after Lang organized an anti-Muslim demonstration in Dearborn, Michigan, called the "Christian Crusade March," where he and his supporters were met by counter-protesters outside a City Council meeting. Dearborn City Council President Michael Sareini said, "We had a plan that was executed flawlessly, and Dearborn won yesterday." In a separate incident in June, Lang and his crew were reportedly run off at the BET Awards after displaying signs with racist messages.
GoFundMe campaigns were set up for William Nicholas Love, raising over $32,000. A press conference with Mayor Frey and police officials was planned, though further details about charges were not immediately announced.