Dearborn, Michigan moved its planned Tuesday City Council meeting to a new location after officials prepared for possible agitators tied to a planned anti-Muslim protest march. Community members were urged to skip the 7 p.m. meeting for safety reasons.
Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said Dearborn is a city of love, not hate, and warned that election season brings an uptick in hate and bigotry. He said the pressure would rise further because a Muslim candidate is the primary nominee for the Democratic Party in the U.S. Senate race.
Dearborn City Hall meeting change
The meeting shift came after Dearborn police chief Issa Shahin and CAIR-MI urged the community on Thursday to stay away from the gathering. Officials moved the planned City Council meeting to a new location as they prepared for possible agitators on Tuesday.
The planned visit was linked to Edward Jacob Lang, who served 4 years in prison for his participation in the U.S. Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, before being pardoned by President Donald Trump in 2025. Lang said they plan to do a Christian Crusade March to Dearborn City Hall.
Pastor Nathan Hayes in Dearborn
Christian leaders and pastors stood with Hammoud to project a public message of unity. Pastor Nathan Hayes said, “I raised four children in this community. I have raised two daughters, two sons. Oldest daughter in Texas. All came through this community, went to schools with Muslims and with Christians.”
Hayes added, “As a Christian, it is a very simple concept. Love your neighbor like you love yourself.” Champlain Rick Neveu said, “Someone from the outside coming into Dearborn trying to tear us apart, not going to work, we work everything out together.”
Security for Tuesday
The immediate question for people who would have attended the 7 p.m. meeting is how to reach the relocated session and what access rules will apply. Dearborn has already changed the venue, and the city’s next step is how it will manage entry and safety around a public meeting that officials said could draw outside agitators.
