January 22, 2026

Lang had been in the Twin Cities for at least a week, often taunting anti-ICE protesters. He arrived at City Hall, where the temperature hovered near 10° F, in a camouflage, military-style vest but no hat, gloves, or scarf. Hundreds of protesters stood across the street behind barricades, holding signs and chanting; dozens of others surrounded Lang’s small entourage as he spoke to reporters. Several police officers on the scene left shortly after his arrival; there was no police presence attempting to separate Lang from the counter-protesters.

Lang took a position above the crowd in a wide window well. Despite the megaphone in his hand, his speech was drowned out by the chanting. A few protesters threw snowballs and water balloons at Lang, now trapped on his ledge. It was a young Black man, Isaiah Blackwell, who eventually stepped in to shield Lang, and then cleared a path for him to leave; several dozen protesters followed, some trying to hit or punch him as he went, while others scuffled with Lang supporters. But the vast majority of protesters remained across the street in a disciplined and peaceful counter mobilization.

Lang was eventually driven away from the scene, ironically by two women who thought he was being chased by ICE agents. Later, one of his rescuers, Daye Gottsche, texted Lang once she realized who they had picked up: “I hope this has some sort of impact on you, because the fear and urgency you felt trying to escape that crowd is what people here feel every day. America was never ours to begin with, so how does it make sense that we can’t share, especially with people seeking safety and shelter?”

National media immediately grabbed hold of this incident, playing up the violence and overlooking the hundreds of well-disciplined Minnesotans across the street who simply chanted “Leave, leave, leave” and “Shame, shame, shame.” Lang, who did suffer a cut to the back of the head and was clearly shaken by the encounter, claimed that someone had tried to “stab” him through his vest.

Minneapolis: Counter-protests Against Ultra-rightists and Defense of Free Speech - World-Outlook

Ultra-rightist Jake Lang and about 10 supporters arrived at Minneapolis City Hall on January 17 for a planned “March Against Minnesota Fraud.

^{world-outlook.com (World-Outlook)}