Minnesota, Minneapolis officials prepare for contentious protests

Star Tribune staff, Star Tribune on Jan 17, 2026

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State and local leaders have mobilized officers and prepared the National Guard for protests planned in Minneapolis this weekend.

A large and visible presence of Minneapolis police officers and Hennepin County sheriff’s deputies will monitor two protests slated for downtown Saturday, Jan. 17, said Bob Jacobson, commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Public Safety.

One protest, the “March Against Minnesota Fraud,” will be led by conservative influencer Jake Lang, who vowed to burn copies of the Quran during the 11 a.m. rally at Minneapolis City Hall. Dozens voiced concern about Lang’s protest and its planned march through the Cedar Riverside neighborhood where many Somali people live.

A second protest organized by the People’s Action Coalition Against Trump will start at the Minneapolis federal building across the street from Lang’s rally at 12:30.

Jacobson called for peaceful protests, adding that anyone who breaks the law will be arrested. Meanwhile, downtown and Cedar-Riverside leaders urged caution and restraint.

Protests are continuing following a nonfatal shooting involving a federal agent on Wednesday that came a week after Minneapolis resident Renee Good was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross.

A federal judge on Friday prohibited ICE agents from arresting, detaining, retaliating against or using force and chemical irritants against peaceful protesters and observers.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice is investigating Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for allegedly impeding federal law enforcement operations through their public statements on the ICE surge.

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