Chaos ensued in Washington Square Park on Friday evening when opposing protesters threw fists at one another, and a far-right influencer attempted to disparage Muslim New Yorkers.
Photo by Dean Moses
Chaos ensued in Washington Square Park on Friday evening when opposing protesters threw fists at one another, and a far-right influencer showed up to disparage Muslim New Yorkers.
The pandemonium unfolded just after 5 p.m. on March 6 under the iconic Washington Square Park Arch as demonstrators opposed to the U.S./Israel air strikes on Iran established a makeshift memorial to slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. Masked protesters set up flowers alongside a photo of Khamenei and Iranian flags.
More than 1,200 people have reportedly died in the air strikes and retaliatory missile attacks; at least six American soldiers have also been killed.
The ayatollah memorial drew the ire of Iranian New Yorkers long opposed to Khamenei’s oppressive rule in Iran, and counter-protesters supporting President Trump. Verbal confrontations quickly deteriorated into physical assault, as members of the two groups traded kicks and punches.
One man was also spotted yanking an Iranian flag out of another person’s hands. NYPD officers swiftly rushed in and pulled protesters apart, cuffing those involved in the fight.
One man was hauled away in cuffs with blood pouring down his forehead following the confrontation. Another man was arrested against the arch itself. A third masked protester could be seen being hurled into the back of a police cruiser.
Emotions ran high as New Yorkers railed against those who mourned the late ayatollah — leader of a fundamentalist Islamic regime that has suppressed the Iranian people for nearly five decades.
“My family is from Iran, these protesters would be killed!” one woman screamed at the mourners.
The NYPD used metal barricades to separate the two sides. However, verbal disputes continued for several hours.
Drive-by hate from pardoned Jan. 6 insurrectionist
As if the protest weren’t chaotic enough, a far-right influencer and pardoned Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrectionist decided to join the fray.
Jake Lang — who was recently seen clashing with, and then being chased by, demonstrators in Minnesota during the height of the ICE crackdown there — showed up at Washington Square Park in a U-haul truck that sped up to the location.
From the back of the rental truck, Lang disparaged Muslims by going on an Islamophobic tirade while simulating a sex act on a live goat.
Police immediately intervened, slamming the door shut; Lang then sped away.
Lang was one of the more than 1,000 prosecuted participants in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection on the U.S. Capitol who were pardoned by President Trump last year. On March 2, U.S. Capitol Police charged Lang with making threatening statements against a police commander earlier this year.
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