Hundreds of counterprotesters in Minneapolis on Saturday overwhelmed a small rally organised by far-right activist Jake Lang in support of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The demonstration, which Lang had promoted as anti-Islam and anti-Somali, was held near City Hall but was quickly drowned out by opponents.
Lang, who previously received clemency from Donald Trump for his role in the January 6 Capitol attack, had threatened to burn a Quran. It remains unclear if he carried out the act. Counterprotesters shouted over his attempts to speak and forced at least one person to remove a shirt deemed objectionable. Snowballs and water balloons were thrown before police arrived in an armoured van.
Minnesota's National Guard was mobilised by Governor Tim Walz but had not been deployed as of Saturday. The guard stated it was ready to support law enforcement in protecting peaceful assembly. The rally occurred amid ongoing protests against a federal immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities, which has involved over 2,000 federal officers since early January.
Protests have been held daily, with demonstrators condemning aggressive tactics by masked immigration officers. One protester, Luke Rimington, said, 'We’re out here to show Nazis and ICE and DHS and [Trump’s Make America great again movement] you are not welcome in Minneapolis.' The operation has claimed at least one life: Renee Good, a US citizen, was shot by an ICE officer on 7 January.
Mayor Jacob Frey criticised the federal operation, calling it an 'invasion by our own government.' A federal judge recently ruled that immigration officers cannot detain or teargas peaceful protesters who are not obstructing authorities. Meanwhile, Garrison Gibson, a Liberian refugee, was released from detention after a judge ruled he was not given proper notice of his status revocation.
