Published Aug. 24, 2026.
Police arrested all seven occupants of two vehicles that drove onto the sidewalk outside City Hall. Officers also detained four people near the rally, but authorities have not identified the masked counterprotester or disclosed his suspected offense.
By Hola America News
MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Minneapolis police arrested far-right activist and pardoned Jan. 6 defendant Jake Lang on Saturday after two vehicles carrying his group drove onto a sidewalk toward a crowd outside City Hall.
During the confrontation, a masked counterprotester dressed as Spider-Man climbed onto the back of Lang’s pickup truck. Images of him grappling with Lang and members of the group quickly spread online.
Officers later took the masked protester to the ground and detained him. However, police have not released his name, identified his suspected offense or confirmed whether the jail formally booked him.
Police arrested seven vehicle occupants after they left City Hall
Lang arrived near City Hall at about 11:50 a.m. on Aug. 22. Hundreds of counterprotesters had gathered outside the building.
Both vehicles carrying Lang’s group then drove onto the sidewalk toward the crowd, according to the Minneapolis Police Department’s account of the incident.
The crowd surrounded the vehicles while Lang stood in the pickup bed holding a large sign with an anti-Black racial slur. Meanwhile, people on both sides used chemical irritants. Police found no evidence that their officers used them.
Officers initially allowed the vehicles to leave. Police Chief Bill Peterson said attempting arrests inside the crowd would have created another safety risk.
Later, the Minnesota State Patrol stopped one vehicle near Washington Avenue and Interstate 35W. Officers arrested the three men inside.
Bloomington police stopped the second vehicle near Lindau Lane and IKEA Way. They arrested Lang and three other men.
In total, police arrested seven vehicle occupants on suspicion of riot and impounded both vehicles.
Medical staff also examined Lang for an apparent injury. Police said the injury did not result from his arrest. Afterward, authorities booked him into the Hennepin County Jail.
Police reported four additional arrests and three injured officers
Police detained four more people near City Hall. The suspected offenses included disorderly conduct and assault. Still, authorities have not released a complete list linking each person to an alleged offense.
Video shows officers detaining the Spider-Man counterprotester near the rally. However, police have not said whether they counted him among those four arrests.
In addition, three Minneapolis police officers suffered injuries during the unrest. Doctors treated and released one officer at a hospital. Police said none of the injuries were serious.
The fundraiser does not verify the masked protester’s identity
A GoFundMe link began circulating after the confrontation. Its description says the money will cover the Spider-Man counterprotester’s legal expenses.
However, the campaign does not establish the masked person’s identity. It also does not verify the organizer’s relationship to him or confirm the reported legal expenses.
Police have not publicly connected the masked protester to a specific offense. Therefore, the fundraiser cannot confirm whether prosecutors will file a criminal charge against him.
An arrest or detention does not prove guilt. Prosecutors decide whether the available evidence supports formal charges.
Trump ended Lang’s federal Jan. 6 case with a pardon
Federal prosecutors charged Lang with crimes connected to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. He remained in custody while awaiting trial.
President Donald Trump ended the federal case in January 2025 by granting pardons to most Jan. 6 defendants.
Lang later organized an anti-Islam and pro-ICE demonstration in Minneapolis in January 2026. A much larger group of counterprotesters overwhelmed that rally and forced it to end early.
Saturday’s confrontation also followed months of protests in Minnesota. In January, tens of thousands marched through downtown Minneapolis during the ICE Out day of protest.
As of Aug. 24, police had not disclosed the identities of everyone arrested near City Hall or announced final charges. Peterson said investigators continued reviewing video and could pursue additional charges.
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