US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal has condemned far-right activist Jake Lang after he and another individual allegedly disrupted a Diwali celebration in Seattle while carrying placards bearing anti-Hindu and racist slogans.
Jayapal, who recently won re-election to the US House from Washington's 7th Congressional District, took to social media to react to footage of the incident. She stated that the demonstration was deeply racist and emphasized that the Indian-American community should be able to observe its cultural festivals without fear or intimidation.
According to video footage and reports from the scene, the protesters carried signs with slogans reading "Deport All Dot Heads" and "Stop Hindu Replacement of Christians." The demonstrators were confronted by attendees at the venue, and some individuals physically removed the protesters from the premises. Lang later defended the demonstration outside the venue, claiming he was exercising his constitutional rights and alleging that he and his associates had been assaulted by people at the festival.
Indian-American community figures and organizations swiftly denounced the incident. Business leader Ajay Jain Bhutoria described the action as pure hate and bigotry, stating that racial slurs and conspiracy rhetoric targeting Hindu Americans have no place in the United States. Additionally, the Coalition of Hindus of North America issued a community alert calling the incident an act of Hinduphobic bigotry and urging residents to remain vigilant.
Lang, who leads an organization called White Replacement, was previously involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol and served four years in prison before receiving a pardon.