Thousands of counter-protesters gathered on Jan. 17 in downtown Minneapolis outside the City Hall, quashing an Islamophobic rally before it was able to even begin.
Edward Jacob “Jake” Lang, the rally’s organizer, was chased multiple blocks from City Hall to the Hotel Indigo. Protesters chased him through the lobby and out the back, where a red Tesla picked him up.
The rally was set to begin at noon at Minneapolis City Hall, with a Quran burning at 1 p.m. followed by a march on the city’s Cedar Riverside neighborhood, home to a large population of Somalis. Minneapolis had been a target for Lang since his appearance at a protest in Dearborn, Michigan, where he held a similar event but was ultimately able to leave unscathed.
As 1 p.m. rolled around, with Lang still cornered, the crowd of counter protesters swelled into the thousands. At this point, Lang was now inaudible over music playing from wireless speakers, megaphones and chanting.
Well beyond the time Lang planned on burning a Quran, he was dragged from the window ledge into the crowd, where Black and Muslim men protected him and shepparded him away from the crowd as punches were thrown.
The crowd followed him back to the Hotel Indigo, punching him and kicking him along the way as he was being held and protected by others. Protesters and media chased him through the hotel lobby and out the back, where he was able to flag down a red Tesla that allowed him to get in the back seat.
It was later revealed that the co-pilot of the Tesla was a trans woman. According to her, they drove him several blocks as he repeatedly claimed Trump saved him and that he’s been “a bad boy.”
“He’s so lucky we stopped for him,” she said. “He’s so lucky we did not know who he was because I’m sorry but you’re for the streets. We’re letting the wolves have you next time.”
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