Anti-Islam activists and pro-Muslim counter-protesters clashed in Dearborn, Michigan, a city with a large Muslim population, after an activist named Jake Lang attempted to burn a Quran. Lang, who was involved in the January 6th Capitol riot, tried to ignite the religious text on Michigan Avenue, but counter-protesters intervened and prevented the burning.
Lang then reportedly slapped the Quran with a slab of bacon before a counter-protester took the book. The confrontation occurred as Lang and his group marched toward City Hall for a city council meeting.
Police maintained a perimeter and intervened briefly, with one arrest reported. No injuries were sustained during the incidents.
The Michigan Democratic Party chair condemned the attempted burning as an unacceptable act of hate, emphasizing Dearborn's multicultural nature. Separately, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, Anthony Hudson, who had previously planned a protest against perceived "Muslim infiltration," visited local mosques and stated he found only hospitality, expressing opposition to the Quran burning.
In response to Hudson's change of stance, Lang vandalized Hudson's campaign bus.
