Culture2 min
Seattle Diwali Event Disrupted by Far-Right Activists With Racist Placards
Jake Lang and another activist interrupted a family-filled festival at Seattle Center, drawing sharp condemnation from lawmakers and Hindu advocacy groups.
Far-right activists led by Jake Lang walked into a Diwali celebration in Seattle on Saturday and held up racist, anti-Hindu signs in front of a stage where a dance performance was under way. Organizers and security soon escorted them out.
Lang and fellow activist Thomas Allen waved the American flag at the Seattle Center Armory. Their placards read "Deport All Dot Heads" and "Stop Hindu Replacement of Christians." Many families and children were in the crowd, and videos of the confrontation spread quickly on social media.
The Diwali event was part of Seattle Center Festival, a series of 25 free cultural festivals that together draw roughly 400,000 visitors a year. The disruption came a day after President Donald Trump lit a diya at the Oval Office and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson joined Diwali celebrations at the Indian Consulate General in Seattle.
Lang is linked to a group called "White Replacement." He took part in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, served a four-year jail term and received a pardon from Trump on the first day of his second term in 2025. He claimed Hindu Americans helped flip Texas toward Democrats, said recent midterm elections were "rigged," and called for a demonstration at the US Capitol on January 3.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said she was "beyond disgusted" and insisted the community should feel safe celebrating. Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi urged people to light a lamp for Diwali while resolving to stamp out hate aimed at Hindus and others. Former White House adviser Ajay Jain Bhutoria said targeting Hindu Americans and Indian immigrants with slurs and conspiracy rhetoric has no place in the country.
Advocacy groups warned of more trouble. The Coalition of Hindus of North America said the activists have announced plans to disrupt other celebrations and urged attendees to stay vigilant. HinduPACT asked people to report suspicious or hateful activity to local police.
Sunita Vishwanath of Hindus for Human Rights said anti-immigrant sentiment has turned into anti-Hindu hatred. She also drew a parallel with harassment of Christians in India and said people should be equally appalled by both.
Read the original report here.
