Anti-Muslim demonstration at Dearborn city council meeting, Mayor Hammoud's response
Published on Aug 19, 2026, 4:11:44 PM
Total time: 00:03:45
Published on Aug 19, 2026, 4:11:44 PM
Total time: 00:03:45
Far-right influencer and anti-Islam activist Jake Lang appeared before Dearborn City Council Tuesday. As WDET's Bre'Anna Tinsley reports, supporters and opponents gathered around Lang as he arrived.
The city council meeting was moved to the Henry Ford Centennial Library in anticipation of large crowds for Jake Lang's appearance in Dearborn Tuesday night. City officials encouraged residents not to engage with Lang supporters the day before. Several commentors praised Lang's rhetoric during public comment.
Mayor Abdullah Hammoud also condemned that message. "Ultimately, they're attacking something much larger than any one faith or community, they are attacking the idea that all of us can belong to America at the same time."
Lang was escorted out of the city council meeting after failing to yield when his allotted time for public comment was over.
Dearborn Police made 22 arrests.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson met with Black Detroiters as a part of her Democratic campaign for governor. Benson -who's white —is running against Republican Congressman John James - who is Black.
At the Benson event, Detroit Federation of Teachers president LaKia Wilson-Lumpkins told the crowd that shouldn't matter. "All skinfolks are not kinfolks. Staying at home in November is not an option. Brothers and sisters in this room, voting for John James is a vote against our own interests."
Republicans have criticized Benson for racial discrimination lawsuits her department faced while she was in charge. Benson has denied any allegations of racism and has often brought up her time fighting racial extremism with the Southern Poverty Law Center. The Justice Department has accused the SPLC of targeting conservatives.
Voters might not get to decide on a proposed constitutional amendment to tighten Michigan's voter I-D and registration policies this November.
The "Americans for Citizen Voting" campaign may not have turned in enough valid signatures to qualify — based on a sample of a thousand signatures the state Bureau of Elections reviewed. The panel says a large chunk of those signatures are invalid. The Board of State Canvassers will decide next week whether the measure belongs on the ballot.
– Reporting by Colin Jackson, MPRN
The Tejara Innovation Hub is hosting the City Institute and New Economy Initiative for a social and networking event in Dearborn tomorrow. The Small Business Social Hour Summer series ends with its Dearborn event after two Detroit events in June and July.
Thursday’s event is free but registration is encouraged. It starts with networking from 4-7 p.m. with a program from 5-6 p.m.. It’s at the Tejara Innovation Hub 4921 Schaefer Road.
The Detroit Evening Report is a three-minute daily round-up of the news that city residents need to know. Stories focus on the concerns, problems, passions and needs of Detroiters – specifically residents of color. On the weekends, we take a break from the news and spend some time with community members. Hosted by Sascha Raiyn, Jerome Vaughn, Tia Graham, Nargis Rahman, and Hernz Laguerre, Jr. Detroit Evening Report is a production of WDET, Detroit's NPR Station.