Seattle: A group of conservative activists disrupted a Diwali celebration in Seattle, the US, by displaying placards bearing racist slogans against people of Indian origin and the Hindu community. The incident, led by Jack Lang, drew strong condemnation from US lawmakers and community leaders.
Lang and his associate Thomas Allen waved American flags and displayed placards carrying slogans such as “Deport all Indians” and “Stop replacing Christians with Hindus”.
The disruption occurred during a dance performance on stage. Videos of the incident went viral on social media, while the activists were quickly removed from the venue.
The incident took place during a Diwali celebration at Seattle Center Armory, part of the Seattle Center Festál programme. The venue hosts 25 cultural festivals annually, attracting around 400,000 visitors each year.
US Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal expressed outrage, describing the incident as “disgusting and racist”. She said Diwali was an important festival and that members of the community had the right to celebrate it in a safe environment. She added that such hateful conduct had no place in her city or country.
Former White House adviser Ajay Jain Bhutoria also condemned the incident, saying it was unacceptable to target Hindu Americans and Indian immigrants with racist slurs and conspiracy-driven rhetoric. He said every American had the right to celebrate their cultural heritage and festivals freely.
The incident came a day after US President Donald Trump lit a traditional Diya in the Oval Office and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson attended a Diwali celebration at the Indian Consulate in Seattle.
Ferguson said Washington was proud to be home to one of the largest Indian-American communities in the US. He added that the state had witnessed one of the country’s fastest-growing Indian-American populations over the past decade and that the community had made significant contributions to its development.
