22 Arrested As Protesters Clash During Anti-Islam Demonstration In Dearborn: Police

DEARBORN, MI — Nearly two dozen people were arrested during demonstrations in Dearborn on Tuesday ahead of the city's council meeting.

Hundreds gathered outside the Henry Ford Centennial Library where conservative activist Jake Lang and Detroit Pastor Lorenzo led what they called a "Christian Crusader March."

Lang has called for an end to the "Islamification of America."

The protesters clashed with pro-Muslim protesters as police, including some in riot gear, were seen pushing large crowds from the library.

Police said there were no injuries during the protests, adding that the majority of those in attendance demonstrated peacefully.

Not everyone behaved peacefully, however, as police said 22 people were arrested. They were charged with misdemeanors ranging from breach of peace, disorderly conduct and more, according to police.

Police did not identify those arrested, but said they range from ages 18 to 64, with some traveling from as far as New York and Tennessee for the protests.

"Our officers met a challenging and rapidly evolving situation with the professionalism this community expects, keeping everyone safe, protecting the constitutional rights of those who came to be heard, and allowing the City Council to complete its business," Dearborn Police Chief Issa Shahin said.

Despite the demonstrations, the city council meeting went on as planned. Lang spoke at the meeting and pushed his anti-Muslim agenda.

Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud also spoke at the meeting, rejecting hate and citing Dearborn as a community built from people with "different names, different accents, different traditions and different ways of worshiping God."