New Delhi: Anti-Hindu slogans disrupted a Diwali celebration at the Seattle Centre Armory on Saturday. Far-right activists Jake Lang and Thomas Allen entered the venue carrying placards reading “Deport All Dot Heads” and “Stop Hindu Replacement of Christians”. The incident drew condemnation from US congresswoman, Pramila Jayapal, and prominent Indian Americans.
Jayapal condemned the protest in a post on X, calling it a racist display. She said the Hindu community should feel safe celebrating Diwali. Indian American businessman Ajay Jain Bhutoria described the demonstration as pure bigotry and said racial slurs against Hindus and Indian immigrants had no place in the US.
The Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA) also condemned the disruption and issued a community alert. It urged people in Seattle and surrounding areas to remain vigilant. The organization said Lang and Allen had announced plans to disrupt other Diwali celebrations.
The activists interrupted the event while children were performing. Some attendees confronted them and removed them from the premises. Lang later claimed on X that he and other protesters had been assaulted by attendees.
In another post, Lang used an abusive slur against Hindus and accused them of helping Democrats turn Texas blue. Speaking outside the venue, he claimed the protest was against what he described as the replacement of Christians by Hindus in the United States.
Lang runs an organization called White Replacement and was involved in the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol. He served four years in prison before receiving a pardon from the United States president, Donald Trump, in January 2025.
The Seattle incident comes amid wider concerns over anti-Hindu and anti-Indian hostility in the United States. In October, a 19-year-old man was arrested over an alleged plan to carry out a mass shooting at the Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple in Aurora, Illinois, during Navaratri. The case raised concerns about the safety of Hindu worshippers at religious gatherings.
More recently, Indian-American politician Jyot Singh spoke about growing hostility towards South Asian communities. Singh became the first Sikh and Indian American elected to the Georgia general assembly. He said Indians, Hindus, Muslims and Sikhs had faced increasing hostility in recent months and referred to the Illinois temple incident.
The disruption also came shortly after Trump hosted Diwali celebrations at the White House. He took part in a ceremonial diya-lighting with Indian-origin guests, including entrepreneur Vishal Gondal and chef Vikas Mehta. He was also presented with a copy of the Hanuman Chalisa.