Minneapolis ‘Spider-Man’ unmasked after viral protest confrontation leads to arrest
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Two fundraisers have drawn thousands in support of Nicholas William Love II following his viral confrontation and arrest.
A man in a full Spider-Man costume became the defining image of a chaotic Minneapolis demonstration over the weekend, and police have now put a name to the mask.
Newsweek reported that the Minneapolis Police Department identified the costumed individual as Nicholas William Love II, 33, who was arrested and booked for an alleged assault committed while wearing the outfit. He was one of 11 people taken into custody following the Aug. 22 events outside City Hall and has since been released.
Video circulating widely shows the costumed man climbing onto the back of a pickup truck connected to conservative activist Jake Lang before a physical confrontation, after which officers pulled him down and arrested him.
Police offered a blunt assessment of the reaction online, where many were calling the man a hero. The department told Newsweek it had confirmed his identity and that he was arrested for assault, adding, “I don’t know how that’s a hero.”
The circumstances leading to the confrontation matter. According to police accounts cited by Newsweek, Lang arrived around 11:50 a.m. with six associates in two vehicles, both of which drove onto a sidewalk beside City Hall toward a gathered crowd.
A confrontation broke out almost immediately, with chemical irritants deployed and officers struck by thrown objects. Three officers sustained apparent non-life-threatening injuries.
Lang, 31, a pardoned January 6 participant who has built a following around his claims about the Capitol riot, had promoted the event as a peaceful free speech rally. Local reporting indicated fewer than a dozen people turned out for it, dwarfed by counterprotesters. He was among seven arrested after police stopped the vehicles, booked on probable cause riot allegations.
The public response has been substantial. Two GoFundMe campaigns supporting the costumed man have collectively raised more than $40,000, per Newsweek. One organizer said he is coordinating with the man’s family.
A second campaign includes a statement attributed to him saying he jumped onto the moving truck because he felt he had to protect those around him, and that he is now injured and unable to perform.
Police said investigators continue reviewing footage and that additional arrests or charges remain possible.