Groups from opposing protests confronted each other in downtown Minneapolis on Saturday, prompting police to intervene and keep them separated.
Shoving matches and tug-of-war over banners erupted among dozens of individuals, surrounded by media, on the snow-covered streets near City Hall. Minneapolis police officers and Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies scrambled to manage the chaotic situation.
Conservative influencer Jake Lang led a small group of fewer than a dozen individuals in an anti-Islam protest outside City Hall. In stark contrast, a second protest organized by the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump attracted a much larger crowd, which ultimately chased Lang.
Before the protests began, Bob Jacobson, commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, called for peaceful demonstrations, warning that anyone who broke the law would be arrested. Meanwhile, leaders from downtown and the Cedar-Riverside area urged caution and restraint.
A live-streamed video on YouTube captured a scene where blood was visible on Lang’s neck as he was surrounded by security guards and a large number of protesters. He later left the scene in a red car, according to the livestream.
Muslim leaders in the Twin Cities advised community members to stay indoors to avoid confrontation, also recommending the cancellation of weekend Islamic studies classes as a precaution.
