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Anti-Islam activists and pro-Muslim counter-protesters clashed on Tuesday in Dearborn, Michigan, prompting a heavy police presence.
Dearborn, home to one of the largest Muslim populations in the country, has recently become a target for activists who accuse it of operating under “Sharia law,” according to MLive.
The clash began when Jake Lang, who participated in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, arrived on Michigan Avenue and attempted to burn a Quran, the outlet reported.
Lang held up a lighter attempting to light the religious text on fire, but counter-protesters knocked it from his hands.
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Later, Lang slapped the Quran with a slab of bacon before a counter-protester grabbed the book and took off with it.
Lang and his group later marched toward City Hall ahead of the city council meeting Tuesday night.
Police maintained a perimeter on the sidewalks and along Michigan Avenue, intervening briefly when the clash escalated following Lang’s attempted burning of the book.
One person was seen being arrested at City Hall, according to MLive. No injuries were reported.
The chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, Curtis Hertel, condemned the attempted burning of the Quran.
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“Attempting to burn a religious document is an unacceptable act of hate,” Hertel said in a statement. “Dearborn is a beloved, multicultural city with tens of thousands of people who are cherished friends, family members, and neighbors.”
Michigan gubernatorial candidate Anthony Hudson, a Republican, walked with supporters along the sidewalk as part of a demonstration that appeared unconnected to Lang’s, according to MLive.
Hudson had initially planned a protest in Dearborn, calling it an “American Crusade” against “Muslim infiltration” and “Sharia Law,” according to a news release from the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.
But after visiting three mosques in the area, Hudson said there are many false and misleading narratives about Dearborn being spread and that all he found from Muslims in Dearborn was hospitality, according to the release. He also said he was opposed to outsiders traveling to Dearborn with plans to burn the Quran.
“We welcome Mr. Hudson’s remorse for his admitted fearmongering against the Dearborn community and American Muslims in general,” CAIR-MI Executive Director Dawud Walid said in the release. “We invite him to further discussions to learn about the Islamic faith and what Muslims generally believe counter to false narratives and misinformation perpetuated by those with political agendas.”
In response to Hudson’s change of heart, Lang spray-painted the word “cuck” on his campaign bus in Dearborn, criticizing him for “selling out,” MLive reported.
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