Minneapolis braces for dueling protests over fraud investigation

Minnesota officials prepared for two protests in downtown Minneapolis on Saturday: one organized by conservative influencer Jake Lang and a counterprotest by the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump. Mr. Lang gathered demonstrators at Minneapolis City Hall and said he would burn a Quran; he was also expected to lead a march through a Minneapolis neighborhood with a significant Somali population.

Minneapolis police officers and Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies amassed in downtown to monitor the events, which had drawn dozens of attendees by midday, the report said. The demonstrations come after near-daily protests since an immigration agent shot and killed Renee Good on Jan.

7, and amid a recent surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity in the Twin Cities that federal officials said included arrests, interrogations of U.S. citizens and the use of tear gas and pepper balls in residential neighborhoods. Mr. Lang’s rally, called the March Against Minnesota Fraud, targeted a wide-ranging investigation into the state’s social services programs; federal prosecutors said a preliminary assessment suggests billions in taxpayer funds spent since 2018 were most likely stolen and that most of those charged so far have been of Somali origin.

Key Topics

Politics, Jake Lang, Minneapolis, Hennepin County, Somali Community, Renee Good