The Wild Reed: Spider-Man in Minneapolis

Thursday, August 27, 2026

Spider-Man in Minneapolis

Pics • Memes • Commentary

Let’s start with some commentary . . .

Spider-Man Charged With Assault
After Confrontation With Jake Lang
in Minneapolis

Minnesota Now
August 25, 2026

A protester wearing a Spider-Man costume during Saturday’s chaotic demonstration outside Minneapolis City Hall has now been charged following a confrontation with far-right activist Jake Lang.

Minneapolis police identified the man as 33-year-old William Nicholas Love [right]. According to newly released information, Love has been charged by the Minneapolis City Attorney’s Office with fifth-degree assault involving fear of bodily harm or death.

Video recorded during the August 22 demonstration shows a person dressed as Spider-Man jumping onto the back of a pickup truck occupied by Lang. The video appears to show the costumed protester throwing punches toward Lang and attempting to take a sign from him.

A detailed criminal complaint outlining the City Attorney’s allegations against Love has not yet been publicly released, so additional circumstances surrounding the charge remain unclear. The charge comes as prosecutors announced a different decision regarding Lang himself.

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty announced Tuesday that her office would not pursue felony charges against Edward “Jake” Lang stemming from Saturday’s confrontation.

Moriarty said prosecutors reviewed extensive evidence involving communication and logistical coordination between the Minneapolis Police Department and Lang’s security detail and determined there was not a path to prove felony charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Lang had initially been arrested on probable cause riot allegations after the demonstration deteriorated into confrontations involving his group, counterprotesters and police.

The rally was organized by Lang in support of Shiloh Hendrix, the Rochester woman convicted in connection with a highly publicized confrontation at a Rochester playground where she repeatedly used a racial slur against a child.

Saturday’s demonstration attracted a large number of counter-protesters and quickly became contentious. Video from downtown showed confrontations around Lang’s vehicles as police attempted to separate people and regain control of the area.

Although Hennepin County has declined felony charges against Lang from Saturday’s events, he has other pending legal matters, including a felony vandalism case in St. Paul involving the destruction of a “Prosecute ICE” ice sculpture.

Lang also remains in custody following his Minneapolis arrest because of an out-of-state felony hold connected to his pending Texas case.

The charge against Love demonstrates that authorities are continuing to review individual conduct captured during Saturday’s demonstration even as felony charges against Lang have been declined.

There is, however, as aspect of this story that's not getting much mainstream attention . . .

‘Spider-Man’ Hailed as Hero
After Jake Lang Clash
Has Domestic Violence and
Felony Firearm Convictions

By Jenna Gloeb

Alpha News
August 25, 2026

The man in the Spider-Man costume who became an overnight “hero” after throwing punches at controversial activist Jake Lang outside Minneapolis City Hall has been celebrated across social media, praised in legacy news coverage and showered with more than $120,000 in donations.

But there’s a significant chapter missing from the superhero storyline: the criminal record of the man behind the mask.

The costumed counter-protester is 33-year-old William Nicholas Love – a convicted felon with prior convictions for domestic assault and another domestic violence-related offense. He was later charged in a case in which he was accused of threatening the mother of his child with a gun.

Saturday’s confrontation came after Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey had publicly urged residents not to give Lang and his rally the attention they were seeking. In a social media post ahead of Saturday’s event, Frey encouraged people to stay away rather than engage with Lang.

“Let this lame-ass racist rally fall flat and fade into irrelevance,” Frey posted on X.

A crowd of counter-protesters showed up anyway as Lang arrived outside Minneapolis City Hall Saturday for an event that quickly descended into chaos.

Video of the confrontation went viral, including footage showing Love – dressed as Spider-Man – climbing onto a pickup truck occupied by Lang and striking him as protesters surrounded the vehicle.

[. . .] Love was also arrested Saturday along with three other counter-protesters but was released from the Hennepin County Jail that evening and cited for misdemeanor assault. It is unclear whom Love is accused of assaulting. Video from the protest shows him striking both Lang and a Minneapolis police officer.

To read Jenna Gloeb’s article in its entirety, click here.

So, yeah, this Spider-Man isn’t perfect. And I hope and pray there has been atonement and healing in his life and within his personal relationships.

And I understand that William Love's use of violence against Jake Lang is problematical for many. At the same time what happened this past Saturday in Minneapolis served for many as a much-needed release; a powerful act of defiance and repudiation of the much greater violence of fascism and the racism which is always such a fundamental part of it.

So with this reality in mind and heart, I share this evening not only the above commentaries but images and memes of Spider-Man in Minneapolis.

This picture should be Photo of the Year because it embodies the absurdity and desperation of the times we’re living in.

Spider-Man being physically harnessed against bigotry and Christian fascism is almost too perfect. Oscar Wilde would appreciate the irony. Life imitating art until the distinction becomes meaningless.

I want to see more of this.

Superheroes are modern mythology. They’re symbols most of us learned as children, and the basic lesson was rarely complicated: when bullies terrorize people, you stand between the bully and their target.

So use the imagery.

Make these racists explain why Spider-Man kicked their ass.

They’ll never live it down.