Far-right activists disrupt Seattle Diwali event with racist placards targeting Hindus

Activists of the American far right abruptly entered a Diwali celebration in Seattle in the US state of Washington and tried to create a disturbance. The protesters made ethnic and racial remarks targeting the Hindu community. The incident, at a festival of lights and joy, has caused concern among the Indian and Hindu community in the US.

People present at the event quickly came together and stopped the protesters from advancing. The situation was thus brought under control before anything serious happened.

According to eyewitnesses, the disruption was led by a right-wing activist named Jake Lang. Lang and his associates carried controversial placards reading "Deport All Dot Heads". The derogatory slogan was reportedly aimed at the bindi or kumkum on the foreheads of Hindu women.

After the incident, Lang posted pictures of the protest on social media. In his post, he wrote that dozens of "Antifa and Hindus" had attacked them at the Seattle Diwali festival. He claimed that the Hindu community was responsible for the political shift in traditionally Republican states such as Texas and for Democratic wins. Lang vented his anger in the post using highly abusive and inflammatory language.

The episode appears to reflect the impact of political turbulence in the US. Lang has said he does not trust the results of the recent midterm elections. Alleging that the "red wall", meaning the Republican Party's strongholds, had collapsed in states such as Texas and Kansas, he has said the results were rigged.

Jake Lang has been one of the prominent accused in the well-known attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. He had to spend four years in jail in that case. In 2025, President Donald Trump pardoned him on his very first day in office. He has now used social media to call for a protest march at the Capitol in Washington DC.

The Seattle incident does not appear to be sudden. In recent days, attempts to target Hindu places of worship and the community in the US seem to have increased. Recently, security agencies arrested in time Alexandros Paporakis, a 19-year-old suspect who was planning a mass shooting at a Hindu temple near Chicago.

Because of this series of incidents, concern about safety is being voiced among non-resident Indians and the Hindu community in the US. Local authorities and elected representatives have condemned such racist acts. Demands are being raised for tighter security so that cultural festivals can be held peacefully.