Daijiworld Media Network - Minneapolis

Minneapolis, Jan 18: Jake Lang, a January 6 rioter pardoned by President Donald Trump, led a small pro-ICE rally outside the federal courthouse in Minneapolis on Saturday, only to be overwhelmed by a significantly larger counter-protest.

Lang, one of roughly 1,600 individuals granted clemency by Trump on his first day back in office, gathered with supporters, playing the song Ice Ice Baby and making anti-immigrant remarks. He claimed immigrants were “replacing” white Americans and referred to the area as “Little Somalia,” a nod to Minneapolis’ sizeable Somali community. Lang had also suggested he intended to burn a Quran during the demonstration.

The counter-protest, organized by the local group People’s Action Coalition against Trump, drew dozens of participants holding anti-ICE signs and chanting slogans. Videos from the scene showed Lang quickly surrounded by the larger crowd and forced to leave the area.

Following the rally, Lang claimed on social media that he had been attacked and stabbed, sharing images from the hospital and alleging city authorities failed to protect him. He urged Trump to deploy the National Guard and posted a fundraising link for his medical expenses. In posts on X, Lang described being “lynched by an anti-white mob of liberals & illegal immigrants” and needing staples in his skull.

The events come amid heightened tensions in Minneapolis over a federal ICE presence. Earlier this month, the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by an ICE officer sparked nationwide protests. Local leaders, including Mayor Jacob Frey, have called for ICE to leave, while Minnesota state officials have filed lawsuits challenging the federal deployment as unconstitutional.

The White House has dismissed these criticisms, accusing Democrats of encouraging violence against law enforcement. Trump has also warned he could invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy active-duty troops against protesters, though he later appeared to soften that stance.