Far-right activists disrupt Seattle Diwali event with racist placards
Washington: Far-right activists led by Jake Lang stormed Diwali celebrations in Seattle, carrying racist placards, an act that was swiftly condemned by US lawmakers and community leaders.
Lang and fellow activist Thomas Allen waved the American flag and carried placards with slogans “Deport All Dot Heads” and “Stop Hindu Replacement of Christians” in front of a stage at the Seattle Centre Armoury, where a dance performance was underway on Saturday.
Videos of the storming of the Diwali celebrations in Seattle went viral on social media. A large number of families and children were in attendance at the event.
The disruption by the far-right activists came a day after Trump lit the traditional diya at the Oval Office and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson joined the Diwali celebrations at the Indian Consulate General in Seattle.
The activists were soon escorted out of the Diwali celebrations, which were part of Seattle Centre Festival, a series of 25 free cultural festivals that collectively draw about 400,000 visitors annually.
Lang is associated with an organisation, ‘White Replacement,’ and was among the attackers of the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. He served a four-year jail term and was later pardoned by US President Donald Trump on the first day of his second presidency in 2025.
He said Hindu-Americans flipped Texas in favour of Democrats and claimed that recent US midterm elections were “rigged”. Lang also called for a demonstration at the US Capitol on January 3.
US lawmakers Pramila Jayapal and Raja Krishnamoorthi condemned the incident, saying such hate has no place in the US.
“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 Congresswoman from Washington, said in a post on X.
“Let’s proudly light a lamp today for Diwali, but resolve that we have to stamp out this hate directed toward Hindus and anyone,” Krishnamoorthi said.
Former White House advisor Ajay Jain Bhutoria said the actions of Lang and Allen were 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,” 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 has taken the form of anti-Hindu hatred extreme enough for Christian xenophobes to “storm” a Diwali celebration in Seattle with signs like ‘Deport all Dotheads,’ a derogatory racial slur directed at people of South Asian descent — particularly Hindus — referencing the traditional forehead bindi or tilak.
“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.