Jake Lang arrested after Minneapolis rally leads to sidewalk confrontations

Far-right activist and pardoned January 6 rioter Jake Lang was arrested on suspicion of rioting following a demonstration outside Minneapolis City Hall on Saturday. The event, which Lang marketed as a “Crusader Freedom of Speech Rally,” drew significant crowds of counter-protesters.

According to the Minneapolis Police Department, the situation escalated when two vehicles associated with Lang’s group drove onto the sidewalk toward a crowd of people. This led to physical confrontations and the deployment of chemical irritants, described as mace, by individuals on both sides. During the chaos, three police officers sustained non-life-threatening injuries after being struck by thrown objects.

Following the confrontation, the vehicles fled the scene but were later tracked down and stopped by law enforcement in different locations, including near Interstate 35W and in Bloomington. All occupants of the vehicles, including Lang, were arrested on suspicion of probable cause riot. Lang has been booked into the Hennepin County Jail.

The rally was intended to support Shiloh Hendrix, a woman recently convicted of disorderly conduct involving racial slurs. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey had previously urged residents to avoid the demonstration to prevent confrontation.