Clashes in Dearborn After Attempted Quran Burning by Jan. 6 Participant Draw Police Response

Anti-Islam demonstrators and pro-Muslim counter-protesters clashed on Michigan Avenue in Dearborn after a man identified as Jake Lang — a participant in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot — attempted to burn a Quran and later struck the book with a slab of bacon. The confrontation drew a significant police presence along the corridor and briefly spilled toward City Hall.

Witnesses say Lang raised a lighter and moved to ignite the religious text before counter-protesters intervened and knocked the lighter from his hand. Moments later, Lang reportedly slapped the Quran with bacon; a counter-protester then grabbed the book and carried it away from the scene.

Following the incident, Lang and members of his group marched toward City Hall ahead of a scheduled council meeting. Police established a perimeter along sidewalks and Michigan Avenue and stepped in when tensions escalated. Authorities reported one arrest at City Hall and no injuries.

Civic and political reactions

Curtis Hertel, chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, condemned the attempted burning as an unacceptable act of hate. "Attempting to burn a religious document is an unacceptable act of hate," he said, calling Dearborn a multicultural community where residents are valued neighbors, family members and friends.

Separately, Republican gubernatorial candidate Anthony Hudson had planned a demonstration in Dearborn but, after visiting several local mosques, said he found many of the fearful narratives about the city to be misleading and described the Muslim community he met as hospitable. He also said he opposed outsiders coming to Dearborn with the intent to burn a Quran.

Dawud Walid, executive director of the Michigan chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR-MI), welcomed Hudson’s change of tone and invited him to further discussions about the Islamic faith to address misinformation.

In response to Hudson’s revised stance, Lang reportedly spray-painted the word "cuck" on Hudson’s campaign bus in Dearborn, accusing the candidate of "selling out."

Context

Dearborn is home to one of the largest Muslim populations in the United States and has been the focus of activists who falsely claim the city operates under "Sharia law." The events underscore continuing tensions over religious tolerance, political rhetoric, and the role of outside agitators in local communities.

"Attempting to burn a religious document is an unacceptable act of hate," — Curtis Hertel, Michigan Democratic Party chair.