MINNEAPOLIS — Right-Wing Provocateur Claims Stabbing During Pro-ICE Rally
A right-wing provocateur who was pardoned for charges tied to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol says he was stabbed during a pro-ICE rally outside Minneapolis City Hall on Saturday. Jake Lang, a 30-year-old conservative influencer, posted on X, stating, “I just got stabbed…today in Minnesota,” and alleged the attack was carried out by a counterprotester.
NBC News could not independently verify Lang’s claim, and he did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Lang, who served four years in jail for alleged crimes related to Jan. 6, was hosting an anti-immigration demonstration with a small group of pro-ICE supporters when hundreds of counterprotesters gathered at the scene.
“Please stop,” Lang repeated to one protester who appeared to be grabbing his legs.
The anti-ICE demonstrators and a group of reporters surrounded Lang and his associates, positioning them near a recessed window along the City Hall building. Counterprotesters were seen hurling water balloons at Lang, leaving him soaked in the freezing cold. They also threw snowballs at other pro-ICE protesters, soaking them as temperatures dropped toward zero degrees Fahrenheit.
The heated confrontation follows growing pressure in the Twin Cities after the killing of Renee Nicole Good this month by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. Lang had promised to burn a Quran at the planned demonstration but did not appear to do so. His group played music including the song “Ice Ice Baby.”
Lang, who is from New York and running for the U.S. Senate seat in Florida vacated by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, struggled to be heard over counterprotesters. Anti-ICE demonstrators shouted profanities and waved banners reading, “Minnesota Nice, Not ICE,” and, “ICE out now!”
“Hey, Minnesota what do we say?” an anti-ICE protester shouted through a megaphone. “F— Nazis every day.”
Across the street, the scene was calmer. Sara Steck, 60, said she was braving the cold temperature to protest Lang’s demonstration because “this city is built on…”
A pro-ICE demonstrator, Gary, who did not want his last name published, said he attended Saturday’s “March Against Minnesota Fraud” rally driven by anger over fraud scandals in the state. These scandals include a high-profile investigation focused on social services programs involving individuals of Somali descent. Local officials reportedly expressed concerns that the rally could lead to harassment of Somalis in the community.
“I’m 100% on board with ICE in every way. If I could join them, I would,” Gary said.
When asked about reports of U.S. citizens stopped by federal officers during traffic stops, Gary said he supports agents questioning and stopping people. “I got all my identification,” he added. “You know, I learned my lesson a long time ago. If you comply with law enforcement, you’ll be just fine.”
