BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. — Activist Jake Lang led a rally he billed as a "Crusader March" outside the 4th annual Palestine Fest at SeatGeek Stadium on Sunday, drawing counterdemonstrators and a large police presence to the southwest Chicago suburb.
Lang participated in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, served four years in federal prison, and was later pardoned by President Donald Trump, according to news reports and public records. He announced Sunday's rally on social media last week: in posts on X on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, he said supporters would gather at noon Sunday at SeatGeek Stadium, 7000 S. Harlem Ave., to boycott the festival under the banner "Crusader March on Little Palestine."
The Palestine Fest, organized by the Chicago chapter of American Muslims for Palestine, ran from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, according to event flyers. Bridgeview is home to what local leaders describe as the largest Palestinian-American population in the country, according to FOX 32 Chicago.
Bridgeview Mayor Steve Landek said in a statement ahead of Sunday's events that the Palestine Fest is "a celebratory event for our whole community." He condemned bigotry and hate-filled rhetoric while affirming the right to peaceful expression, FOX 32 reported. The village's police department said it had "developed a thorough security plan," and the mayor said Lang had given the village verbal notice of his plans, according to the Chicago news outlet GrayStak. The Worth Police Department said Bridgeview had asked it for mutual aid.
Counterprotest organizers called for a demonstration at noon to oppose Lang's presence and defend the festival. Live video coverage from outside the stadium Sunday showed Palestinian flags, demonstrators carrying shields, and an opposing rally with American flags and signs, with police positioned between the groups.
Sunday's rally is the latest in a series of demonstrations Lang has led around the country. According to news reports, several of his recent events ended in clashes: in Dearborn, Michigan, in August, 22 people were arrested on misdemeanor charges; in Minneapolis later that month, 11 people were arrested and three officers were injured after vehicles associated with his group drove onto a sidewalk toward a crowd; and in New York City on Sept. 11, punches were thrown and at least one demonstrator was arrested during a "Crusader March" near the 9/11 anniversary ceremonies, the New York Post reported.
As of Sunday afternoon, crowd sizes, arrests and any injuries connected to the Bridgeview rally had not been independently confirmed. This is a developing story. NCN will update as official information becomes available.
— National Correspondent Network
