By: Kaden Drew
August 30, 2026
On August 22, 2026, notorious right-wing activist Jake Lang was protesting the sentencing of Shiloh Hendrix in Minneapolis who was found guilty of yelling racial slurs at a black autistic child on a playground. During this protest, 33-year-old William Nicholas Love dressed as Spider-Man, jumped on Lang’s truck, and began striking Lang. This conflict resulted in both Lang’s and Love’s arrest. Currently there is a GoFundme page dedicated to helping with Love’s legal fees which as of writing has surpassed its optional $10,000 goal and reached over $102,000.
This is not the first time Jake Lang has participated in protests. He was present during the January 6 riots at the capitol in 2021. Lang was pardoned by President Trump among the other January 6 rioters in January of 2025. Lang has a long list of other arrests and protests spanning from 2021 into the present with five separate incidents this year alone. March 2026, Lang organized an anti-Islam demonstration of approximately 20 people which garnered far more counter protesters, two of which were arrested after throwing incendiary devices towards the demonstration. May 2026, Lang was taken into custody after disrupting legal proceedings for a bond hearing of Dalton Eatherly known online as “Chud the Builder.” This only scratches the surface of Lang’s experiences over the past year.
Spider-Man is a fictional comic book character that has been widely popular since its inception by Marvel Studios in 1962. The character has seen lots of popularity recently with the release of the film Spider-Man: Brand New Day starring Tom Holland. Within comics and movies, Spider-Man operates as a vigilante fighting crime which is likely what inspired Love to don the costume to begin with. However, Love is certainly not the first to try and fight crime in a colorful suit. Some influencers online have made their own suits inspired by comic book characters, such as Spider-Man, and try their best to help provide aid to those in their respective cities.
The image of Spider-Man has inspired millions of people over the years, and it is only fitting that his likeness is used in a manner to put a stop to hate.
William Love dressed as Spider-Man attacking Jake Lang (center), Photo credits: Chris Juhn Photography
