Hundreds gathered outside of Dearborn's Henry Ford Centennial Library Tuesday evening, Aug. 18, for an anti-Muslim protest hours ahead of the city's weekly council meeting.
The "Christian Crusader March" is being led by right-wing provocateur Jake Lang with the help of Detroit pastor Lorenzo Sewell, who hosted Lang at his church on Sunday. Lang's protests are part of a long history of anti-Muslim protests by some Christian extremists targeting the city over the past 20 years.
People in the crowd sprinted to reach Lang when he arrived. As of 6 p.m., Tuesday's rally appears to be the largest crowd Lang has drawn among his five visits to metro Detroit since November. Many in crowd outside the Henry Ford library are counter-protesters or observers.
Several people held American or Christian flags. A Nazi flag could also be seen in the crowd. Some Christians and Muslims outside the library debated religion.
In a news conference on Monday, Aug. 17, Dearborn officials said they will protect free speech rights and will strictly enforce laws and ordinances to protect public safety.
Outside the library, more than an hour before the meeting was set to begin, a crowd member asked those who loved Jesus to cheer and received a rousing response.
A truck with a digital screen that read "Racism: The clown show nobody asked for," "No hate in Dearborn," "Jake Lang's Clown Show," and more drove by the protest several times ahead of the meeting.
Dearborn officials moved the city council meeting, which usually takes place at the Dearborn Administrative Center, to the library down the street in anticipation of the large crowd. Ahead of the meeting, police blocked the south side of Michigan Avenue in front of the library to cars as the crowd began to gather.
Michigan Democrats denounce anti-Muslim hate
Hours ahead of the city council meeting and rally Tuesday, the Michigan Democratic Party and several elected Democrats denounced the anti-Muslim protest and shared support for the city of Dearborn and its residents.
In a statement sent to the media late Tuesday morning, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she's been in contact with Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud. She echoed the remarks of Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin and local officials encouraging residents to not confront or engage with demonstrators.
“Dearborn is home to one of the most vibrant communities in America. Its residents are our friends and our neighbors," Whitmer said. "Today, a group of agitators is traveling to Dearborn for the sole purpose of intimidating that community and provoking a reaction. Their plan emboldens and contributes to dangerous behavior, and I am asking every person of good will to denounce it. Their hate has no place in Michigan."
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel made a statement on behalf of the Michigan Democratic Party. U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, western Wayne County and Downriver State Rep. Darrin Camilleri, and gubernatorial nominee Jocelyn Benson have also denounced hate and shared support for the Dearborn community.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Nour Rahal contributed to this reporting.
Contact Niraj Warikoo: nwarikoo@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Anti-Muslim rally draws hundreds of protesters outside Dearborn library
