A Diwali celebration filled with children dancing on stage was disrupted on Saturday, November 7, in Seattle, Washington, when two far-right activists walked in carrying placards with racist, anti-Hindu slogans — and were confronted by attendees and escorted out. The incident, at the Seattle Center Armory during the free 'Diwali: Lights of India' festival, drew condemnation on Sunday from U.S. Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, who represents Seattle, and from Indian-American community organisations, which have urged families across the Seattle area to stay alert at remaining Diwali events this weekend.
Source: Zee News
The two men were identified in reporting as Jake Lang and Thomas Allen. They appeared near the stage carrying American flags and placards bearing the messages 'Deport All Dot Heads' and 'Stop Hindu Replacement of Christians', while a cultural performance was under way. The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) said children were performing at the time. Footage shared on social media showed the men at the venue as attendees objected; several people confronted the protesters, who were subsequently escorted out of the Armory.
Source: DY365 (ANI reporting)
What the festival was — and where it happened
'Diwali: Lights of India' was held on Saturday at the Seattle Center Armory, the exhibition hall inside the Seattle Center complex in downtown Seattle. The free festival was scheduled from noon to 6 p.m. as part of Seattle Center Festál, a series of cultural events organised in partnership with local communities. The programme included classical Indian music, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi and Kathak dance performances, art displays and family activities — a public, family event of the kind Indian and Punjabi families across Washington state attend every Diwali season.
'Beyond disgusted': the lawmaker and community response
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal condemned the protest in a post on X on Sunday, November 8. '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,' she wrote. Jayapal is the Democratic congresswoman for Seattle in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Source: Zee News
CoHNA issued an advisory for Seattle and nearby areas urging people to remain vigilant at Diwali celebrations, saying the activists had indicated they might disrupt other events. HinduPACT separately urged community members to inform local law enforcement about any suspicious or hateful activity.
Indian-American businessman and former White House adviser Ajay Jain Bhutoria also condemned the demonstration, calling it 'pure hate and bigotry'. In his post he wrote that storming a peaceful Diwali celebration with those placards targeted Hindu Americans and Indian immigrants through racial slurs, adding: 'Diwali is a festival of light, family, and joy — not a threat… We stand against this racism and for the right of every American to celebrate their heritage freely.'
Who is Jake Lang — and what he claims happened
Lang previously took part in the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He spent years in custody — reporting puts it at about four years in jail — before receiving a pardon from President Donald Trump in January 2025, at the start of Trump's second presidency. Reporting also links Lang to an organisation called 'White Replacement'. After the confrontation in Seattle, Lang posted photographs and comments on X alleging that the protesters had been assaulted by dozens of people at the gathering, and blamed Hindus for Democratic electoral gains in Texas. That assault claim is Lang's own allegation: DY365's report noted it could not be independently verified, and no police report or arrests had been publicly reported at the time of filing.
Source: DY365 (ANI reporting)
What is solid
- Two activists entered the Seattle Center Armory on Nov 7 carrying anti-Hindu placards during a performance and were escorted out — reported by multiple outlets with video from the venue.
- Rep. Pramila Jayapal and community groups CoHNA and HinduPACT publicly condemned the display and issued safety guidance.
What is only claimed
- Jake Lang's claim on X that he and his associates were assaulted by attendees is unverified — no police report or arrests had been publicly reported when the first reports were filed.
Why this lands hard for the diaspora — and the contrast of the same weekend
The disruption came in the middle of the Diwali season, when Indian diplomatic missions and community groups across the United States hold some of the largest public celebrations of the year. Only a day before the Seattle festival, President Trump hosted a Diwali ceremony at the White House, and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson attended Diwali celebrations organised by the Indian Consulate in Seattle — official recognition, at the highest level, of the same festival that was targeted inside the Armory. For Punjabi and Indian families in the Seattle area — part of a large and growing South Asian community across Washington, including truckers, tech workers, students and small-business families — the practical message from community groups this weekend is simple: keep celebrating, stay alert, and report hate incidents to police rather than confronting provocateurs.
What happens next
Lang and Allen have said, in their own posts and in reporting, that they plan to target other locations in Seattle this weekend, which is why CoHNA's alert covers the wider Seattle area and not just the Armory. No arrests or charges arising from Saturday's disruption had been publicly reported as of Sunday morning, November 8, and Seattle police had not issued a public statement in the reports available at filing. Families attending Diwali programmes in Washington state on Sunday and in the coming days are being advised by community organisations to note venue security arrangements, keep children with adults, and call local police if a similar provocation occurs. Awaaz Punjab will update this report if police confirm any action.