After a far-right extremist drove on the sidewalk at City Hall, residents stood united while questioning why police escorted the instigators.
Overview: Community resistance and accountability at City Hall
MSR’s contributing writer Izzy Canizares covers the tense standoff at Minneapolis City Hall, detailing how local residents united to confront white supremacist Jake Lang and why MPD’s tactical response sparked widespread criticism from community organizers.
Jake Lang, an infamous white supremacist and Jan. 6 rioter, is currently behind bars at the Hennepin County Jail after driving on the sidewalk outside City Hall before being chased away by residents for a second time this year. Around a hundred residents showed up, including a Spider-Man impersonator, whose presence quickly went viral across social platforms. While the community was successful, many are still demanding answers regarding how the city’s police seemed to prioritize Lang’s safety over others.
“This is not the place for this, and why our city officials have even allowed it to come this far is beyond me,” said Katie, a Minneapolis resident. “I came out today because this is absolutely wrong. I’ve never been to one of these things, ’cause he’s nonsense, but I felt like today we had to take a stand, because this is out of control.”
Lang is unfortunately no stranger in Minneapolis. He first tried to hold an anti-Muslim rally on Jan. 17, which was also met with Minneapolis protesters, and led to him being chased out. He announced last month on social media that he would be returning to City Hall to lead a “peaceful Freedom of Speech” rally, using the N-slur on multiple promotional flyers. He was unsuccessful once again, with over 100 counter-protesters already holding their own demonstration in front of City Hall during the time Lang was scheduled to be there.
“I think it’s good for the community to stand united against white supremacy and institutional racism,” said Trahern Crews, co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota. “A lot of times speech can become policy, and then policy becomes law, and then when that law is implemented, a lot of laws are rooted in anti-black racism.”
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