From Press Conference to Street Fight: Jake Lang’s Day in Downtown Los Angeles

_{Jon Mellis and Jake Lang (photo by Kelly Stuart)}

By Kelly Stuart

At a “Stop the Steal” press conference in support of Spencer Pratt, a brawl immediately erupted near La Puebla Historic Park in Downtown Los Angeles. That brawl continued into the middle of Alameda Street in front of Union Station, leading to multiple fistfights as well as attacks with pepper spray and stun guns. The planned rally featured Jake Lang, a far-right provocateur, and other right-wing associates. The brawl ended at Union Station; La Puebla Security and LAPD intervened, allowing Lang’s group safe passage into Union Station.

The conference was scheduled for 10AM on July 10 in front of the Spring Street Superior Courthouse. Flyers posted on social media by Eoin Richard Connolly, an associate of Lang’s, and used the phrases “STOP THE STEAL!” and “Do Not Certify.” California election results for the June 2nd Primary were certified that day in Sacramento by California Secretary of State Shirley Weber.

Lang has a history of staging stunts that appear to be designed to create violence, chaos, and viral media clips to be used as propaganda. Lang was a participant in the January 6 Capitol Riots, and spent four years in prison awaiting the results of an 11-count indictment which included accusations that Lang assaulted police officers with a baseball bat. Lang spent four years in prison awaiting trial; he pleaded Not Guilty to all 11 counts.  He was pardoned by President Donald Trump in January 2025 as part of the blanket pardons for all 2021 Capitol Riot defendants.

Lang has racked up a series of criminal charges since his pardon by Trump, including making threatening comments to a Capitol police officer in DC.  Lang said the officer should be “put down like a dog” and “hung by his ankles in front of the Capitol.”  Lang also faces charges for making terroristic threats in the State of Texas and felony vandalism in Minneapolis. 

More recently Lang staged a blatantly racist provocation; he appeared outside of the BET Awards in LA with signs that included anti-Black messaging, and shouted racist slogans. Usually accompanied by videographers who capture and deceptively edit clips to be posted on social media, Lang has claimed he is a victim of what he calls “the animalistic left.”

_{Jake Lang (photo by Kelly Stuart)}

Lang was a no-show at the 10AM start time in front of the Spring Street Courthouse. By 10:30AM, there were approximately 25 people waiting for Lang. Nearly all were counter-protesters and media.

One woman, a Lang supporter, arrived at the Courthouse wearing a t-shirt that said “I FUCKING LOVE SPENCER PRATT.” Counter-protesters surrounded her and began to argue with her. Some mocked her mispronunciation of SCOTUS (Supreme Court of The United States) as “Scout-Us”.

An elderly white couple, some middle-aged couples, and a few young women looked like they were on break from downtown office jobs. They mixed in with a group of photographers and live streamers carrying cellphones on selfie sticks.

Around 10:45AM, a counter-protester announced that he saw a live social media post from one of Lang’s associates showing Lang’s location in the vicinity of Olvera Street. The group had been waiting nearly an hour. Counter-protesters began to walk quickly down Spring Street several blocks away toward Lang’s location.

As counter-protesters arrived to confront Lang in the Plaza, Lang held up a large poster with an image of Nithya Raman (candidate for LA Mayor who beat Spencer Pratt in the primary). The image showed Raman, dressed in a Sari. It was also covered with text that said “DEPORT NITHYA RAMAN.”

“BACK TO INDIA,” Lang bellowed. 

“It’s the Goat Humper, ladies and gentlemen!”  a counter-protester responded. Lang once brought a live goat to New York Mayor Zorhan Mamdani’s Gracie Mansion residence during an anti-Islam protest staged by Lang. Lang referred to the goat as “Mamdani’s second wife.”

Lang was wearing an olive green plate carrier without plates.

As counter-protesters moved in towards him, Lang darted behind his supporters. Eoin Richard Connolly wore a dark suit and held a sign reading “DEMOCRATS STOLE THE ELECTION.” Nima Poursohi, a “conservative Persian” activist in favor of the war in Iran, held up a shirt that said “Persians for Trump”. Jon Mellis, a former Proud Boy who was pardoned by Trump after receiving a 55-month sentence for assaulting police at the Capitol on January 6th, stood next to Pouroshi. Mellis held a large sign with pictures of LA Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman that said “DUMB AND DUMBER.”

_{Eoin Richard Connolly, Nima Poursohi and Jon Mellis (photo by Kelly Stuart)}

“Which way to the courthouse?” asked Lang, trying to move away from the group of counter-protesters surrounding him. 

“Don’t you know?” a female counter-protester asked.  

“I’m not from LA,” Lang replied. 

_{(Photo by Kelly Stuart)}

_{Jake Lang, center, Travis Whitcher in background (Photo by Kelly Stuart)}

A man droned: “THIS MAN IS A NAZI” through a bullhorn as Lang held his sign over his head. Counter-protesters tried to grab Lang’s sign as he dodged them. 

A  slim middle-aged man in a baseball cap and gray T-shirt threw a punch to Lang’s head, which glanced off Lang’s arm.  The man grabbed Lang’s empty plate carrier and yanked on it; Lang flipped in the air and tumbled in the street.

Eoin Richard Connolly frantically shouted “Travis! Travis!” – signalling towards videographer Travis Whitcher to film the assault on Lang.  Whitcher, a well-known character in the scene of the LA far-right, was dressed in a uniform of camo-pattern sporting a motorcycle helmet and goggles.

_{Travis Whitcher (Photo by Kelly Stuart)}

Mellis intervened in Lang’s defense, pepper spraying attackers and then wildly pepper spraying everyone in his vicinity. 

Lang ran back towards the Gazebo, pursued by the crowd. He scuffled with a woman; her face dripped with pepper spray afterwards. Eoin Richard Connolly attacked the woman with a long metal stun gun. In response, one man punched Lang’s head, landing a blow. A Lang supporter in a red cap squirted pepper spray from a small handheld canister.

_{Eoin Richard Connolly threatens a woman with a stun gun. (Still from video by Kelly Stuart)}

As Lang tried to free himself from the crowd, a small woman in a baseball hat and sneakers kicked and pushed Lang from behind. Eoin Richard Connolly waved the stun gun at her.

“Stop assaulting me!” Lang shouted as he circled back to the Gazebo, pursued by another woman with long dark hair and a form-fitting white lace top. She walked at Lang’s side with her hands deliberately held behind her back and chased him up the stairs and onto the gazebo.

On the ground below the gazebo, a photographer was hunched over, blood running down his face. He was temporarily blinded by pepper spray. There was a broken lens hood on the ground.  A security guard and some counter-protesters were helping him wash out his eyes. He’d been hit in the scuffle by Mellis.

Later that day, Michelle Farrell, the girlfriend of Mellis, would post a video on X showing images taken by the photographer in the moment he was pepper sprayed by Mellis. Text accompanied the video claiming the photographer was “a dear friend” who was simply “caught in the cross.” She said the photographer was named “Alex Good.”  This information was blatantly false.

That photojournalist was Christopher Almarez, who told Ten Four he had never met Farrell or Mellis before.  Almarez told US Press Freedom Tracker (the nonpartisan news website that documents press freedom violations) Mellis ordered him “not to move behind him”. When Almarez continued to take photos, Mellis maced him and continued to spray people nearby. 

Eventually, Almarez attempted to intervene. Mellis bludgeoned Almarez with the mace canister, fracturing his skull. “It’s a slight frontal sinus fracture,” said Almarez, who told Ten Four he has filed a police report. 

Far-right agitator Mike Ancheta also posted on social media that he’d been punched and pepper-sprayed that day by Mellis. “Sometimes friendly fire happens.”  he wrote. Ancheta was wearing a mask and riding a bike behind Mellis when Mellis punched him. 

Immediately after Mellis punched him, Ancheta was heard saying, “Hey G, chill, I’m not doing nothing to you.” “Who are you?” said Mellis. “I’m Private Joker,” said Ancheta.

Ancheta has been documented stalking and threatening protesters on the left since 2020. Often seen riding on a bicycle near protests, he’s been documented directing, initiating or participating violence towards leftist protesters and journalist alike numerous times. 

_{Jon Mellis hits a woman in the face with a bottle (still from video by Kelly Stuart)}

Moments later, Mellis reached out and grabbed the breast of a woman following him with her arms clasped behind her back. She raised a fist, then Mellis smashed a bottle in her face. The bottle bounced off her jaw and flew into the air as she collapsed to the ground. A man and woman threw themselves at Mellis, trying to attack or subdue him, but he fled along with Lang into an open area of the Plaza. 

The woman who was struck, as well as another photojournalist in addition to Almarez, have filed police reports.

Lang fled into Alameda Street, followed by supporters and counter-protesters. Someone threw a plastic bottle at Lang’s back.

The only real defenders of Lang other than Mellis were a handful of La Puebla Security Guards. Futilely, they attempted to separate counter-protesters from Lang. An older Black man was seen stepping between Lang and counter-protesters, and later a younger Latino man.

After crossing Alameda Street, Lang moved to stand behind a line of Union Station Security Officers and LAPD. He pointed out people he claimed had assaulted him. He displayed a sign that said “SPENCER PRATT CAN SAVE L.A. FROM COMMUNISTS.” 

Counter-protesters, held back behind a line of officers, shouted “Get out of LA! LA doesn’t want you here.”

A Latina woman shouted through a bullhorn: “The people of color, these officers and security that are of color are protecting the white supremacist. He went over and cried to them!” 

Nima Poursohi, an associate of Lang’s, approached the police line to cross through to Lang. An officer held him back. Lang gestured, “He can come through.”  Lang began gesturing to associates he wanted the police to allow past the police line, but was ignored.