Far-right hooligans led by conservative influencer Jake Lang disrupted Diwali celebrations in Seattle, carrying placards calling for the deportation of all “dot heads”, drawing swift condemnation from US lawmakers and community leaders.
Lang and fellow agitator Thomas Allen waved American flags and held placards bearing the slogans “Deport All Dot Heads” and “Stop Hindu Replacement of Christians” in front of a stage where a dance performance was taking place on Saturday. Videos of the disruption at the Diwali celebrations in Seattle went viral on social media.
After posting pictures of the attempted disruption, Lang launched an abusive tirade against Hindus on X, blaming them for turning Texas blue for the Democrats in the recently concluded midterm elections, which saw a nationwide repudiation of US President Donald Trump and his Republican Party.
In his post on X, Lang said, "We were just ASSAULTED by dozens of ANTIFA & HINDUS @ the Seattle Diwali Festival!!!! I guess they didn’t like our “Deport All Dot Heads” sign!!! Hindus flipped Texas blue. '#$%' them."
The activists were soon escorted out of the celebrations at the Seattle Center Armory, part of Seattle Center Festal, a series of 25 free cultural festivals that collectively attract about 400,000 visitors annually.
Lang is associated with an organisation called ‘White Replacement’ and was among those who attacked the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. He served a four-year prison sentence before being pardoned by US President Donald Trump on the first day of his second presidency in 2025.
The attempted disruption comes just weeks after another right-wing activist allegedly plotted to target a Hindu temple near Chicago. A 19-year-old suspect, identified as Alexandros Paporakis, was arrested following an investigation into threats of a potential mass shooting at the temple in Aurora, Illinois. Paporakis, who professed Nazi ideology, had outlined an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting at the temple.
The disruption by the far-right activists came a day after Trump lit a traditional diya at the Oval Office and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson attended Diwali celebrations at the Indian Consulate General in Seattle.
Meanwhile, Indian-American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal condemned the actions of Lang and Allen, saying she was "beyond disgusted” by the vile and racist display.
“I am beyond disgusted by this vile and racist display. Diwali is an important holiday and our community should feel safe to celebrate it. This hateful display has no place in our city or this country,” Jayapal, the Democratic Congresswoman from Washington, said in a post on X.
Former White House adviser Ajay Jain Bhutoria described the actions of Lang and Allen as “absolutely disgusting.”
“Targeting Hindu Americans and Indian immigrants with racial slurs and conspiracy rhetoric has no place in this country. We stand against this racism and for the right of every American to celebrate their heritage freely,” Bhutoria said in a post on X.
“We condemn such actions and advise community members to stay vigilant while celebrating Diwali, as these activists have announced plans to disrupt other celebrations,” the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) said in a post on X.
Sunita Vishwanath, co-founder of Hindus for Human Rights, said anti-immigrant sentiment had taken the form of anti-Hindu hatred, with Christian xenophobes going as far as to "storm" a Diwali celebration in Seattle carrying signs such as "Deport all Dotheads."
“This is as heartbreaking as the Hindutva mobs that harass Christians in India on Christmas, forcing church congregations to say 'Jai Shri Ram' at the threat of violence,” Vishwanath said in a post on X.
“If we are appalled by this hateful and threatening behaviour of right-wing Christians towards Hindus, we must be equally appalled by the hate and violence that Indian Christians suffer at the hands of right-wing Hindus,” she said.
“We urge the Hindu community to stay vigilant and report any suspicious or hateful activity to local law enforcement,” advocacy group HinduPACT said in a post on X.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)
