Man in Spider-Man Costume Throws Punch at Jake Lang During Minneapolis Rally

A rally led by Jake Lang, a pardoned January 6 defendant, turned chaotic outside Minneapolis City Hall on Saturday, August 22, resulting in 11 arrests, including Lang’s, and injuries to three police officers.

According to the Minneapolis Police Department’s account of the incident, Lang arrived near South Fourth Street and Third Avenue at approximately 11:50 a.m. with six others traveling in two vehicles. Both vehicles then drove onto the sidewalk toward a crowd of more than 100 counter-protesters who had gathered in advance of the rally, which Lang had promoted online as a “peaceful Freedom of Speech” event.

As the vehicles moved through the crowd, a man dressed in a full Spider-Man costume jumped onto the back of the truck carrying Lang and struck him before being pulled off, thrown to the pavement, and detained by officers. Video of the confrontation, captured by multiple outlets including FreedomNewsTV, spread widely online in the hours that followed.

Minneapolis authorities have identified the man in the Spider-Man costume as Nicholas William Love II, 33, of Inver Grove Heights. He was booked on suspicion of assault and issued a citation for misdemeanor assault before being released from Hennepin County Jail that same evening.

In total, 11 people were arrested at the scene, including Lang and six of his associates, among them fellow activist Jayden Scott, 23, of Michigan. Four counter-protesters, including Love, were arrested outside City Hall. As of the following Monday afternoon, Lang remained in custody without bond.

Accounts of the incident differ depending on the source. Some outlets reported that Lang’s rally was tied to a sign referencing Shiloh Hendrix, a Minnesota woman who drew national attention in 2025 after directing a racial slur at an 8-year-old autistic boy and was later convicted after a similar incident. Lang has organized rallies in multiple states since his release and has described himself as a free speech advocate; other outlets have characterized him and his associates as far-right provocateurs.

Love has not spoken publicly in detail about his motivations, though a GoFundMe page purporting to be connected to his legal defense describes his actions as an attempt to protect people in the crowd. According to text posted on that page, “As the vehicle moved toward the crowd, I jumped onto the moving truck because I felt I had to do whatever I could to protect the people around me… I was pushed off, punched in the face, and trampled by police.”

This was reportedly not Lang’s first rally to draw counter-protesters in Minneapolis; a similar event in January was also met with organized opposition. No additional details about upcoming legal proceedings for those arrested have been announced.

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