A “gang/counter-gang” style provocation was attempted in Minneapolis on Jan. 17, when far-right agitator Jake Lang obtained a city permit for a march targeting the city’s Somali-American community. Lang promoted the event on X as a “Crusader March” into the “Little Somalia” area and said he would burn a Quran and draw thousands of other marchers.
Only about 11 people (FBI informants?) showed up, and the demonstration never moved beyond a recessed area near City Hall. Lang played the 1990 song “Ice Ice Baby” to signal support for federal ICE agents, and shouted anti-immigrant, white nationalist slogans. Hundreds of counter-protesters arrived and shouted him down, including a new group, seemingly formed for this occasion, calling itself the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump. This group appears to be a spinoff of People’s Action, which has a reputation of “personal intimidation.”
After about an hour, Lang decided to leave. Some counter-protesters allegedly attacked him physically and lobbed water balloons at Lang and his followers in the sub-freezing weather while playing music from the Disney movie Frozen. He was chased to a hotel. Lang claimed he had been stabbed, and some blood was seen on his head as he entered the hotel.
Lang has a long history as a provocateur.
On Jan. 6, 2021, Lang brought a baseball bat with him when he joined the protests at the U.S. Capitol building, and spent 4 years in jail on charges that he beat policemen with the bat. While in prison, Lang tried, but failed to create a national militia group. After he was pardoned by President Trump, he announced in March 2025 that he would run for U.S. Senate in Florida for the seat recently held by Marco Rubio. Lang’s campaign slogan is, “We Are Taking Over The Capitol Again.”
On November 18, 2025 Lang went to Dearborn, Michigan, the town with the largest Arab-American population in the nation, with a banner reading “Americans Against Islamification.” He wore a bulletproof vest, held a copy of the Quran which he threatened to burn, and brought a bag of bacon, according to Metro Times. Lang accused Dearborn of operating under Sharia law and later filed a lawsuit against the city, claiming police should have done more to protect him from counter-protesters.
On January 4, 2026 Lang protested outside the headquarters of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC with a banner reading, “Make Jerusalem Christian Again.” Lang threw chocolate coins and gave a Nazi salute. Lang made his usual crude, racist slurs according to the Jewish Herald Voice.
Who stands to gain from stoking such provocations and responses?
