Conservative journalist Cam Higby pepper-sprayed at Dearborn protest

A conservative influencer and journalist who claimed he was followed and then assaulted while covering a protest in Dearborn, Michigan, called the scene “total lawlessness” and accused police of refusing to intervene or take his report.

Dearborn, home to one of the largest Muslim populations in the United States, has recently attracted the attention of activists who accuse the city of operating under “Sharia law,” according to MLive. On Tuesday, an anti-Islamic protest on Michigan Avenue turned chaotic as demonstrators clashed with counter-protesters, leading to allegations of assault and police inaction that later spread to a city council meeting.

Camera Higby said The Dearborn City Council said he was pepper sprayed and robbed while documenting the shootings.

“I went and told one of your officers… that this had happened. He told me there was nothing that could be done about it unless I went to the police station,” Higby said. “I told him, ‘If I go into the station later, you’ll never catch the man…’ He said, ‘Sir, I can’t abandon my post.’ Five minutes later, I caught him on a personal phone call in the parking lot.”

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In a follow-up interview with Fox News Digital, Higby said he encountered a counterprotester on the “Free Palestine” side who harassed a man wearing an “America First” hat. Higby said the man pushed him while he was trying to record, and then he was pepper-sprayed.

“Sir, why is he not welcome on public sidewalks?” Higby asks the man before being told to “get that camera out of my face.” The man turns and tells her this again, adding that he will “get it” from Higby if he doesn’t stop the recording. The phone then drops and someone picks it up to record Higby with his eyes tightly closed.

“They took my phone, recorded me in pain… and then threw it across the street,” Higby recalls, adding that about $50 and the microphone receiver were taken.

claimed Police officers said they witnessed many attacks but “did nothing” and described the scene as “complete lawlessness”.

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Cam Higby says he was pepper sprayed after confronting a counterprotester at a protest in Detroit, Michigan, on Tuesday. (Cam Higby)

Higby said he eventually left the city without filing a report because he didn’t feel safe.

“None of the officers appeared to have any motivation to enforce any laws,” he said. “They did not accept my report” [earlier] and got out of Dearborn as quickly as I could.”

A spokesperson for the Dearborn Police Department told Fox News Digital that it “reacted quickly” and managed the demonstrations. The spokesman also said officers arrested three people from different groups for “disorderly behaviour”.

Chief Issa Shahin said, “I am proud of the disciplined and measured response our officers demonstrated during the November 18 demonstrations. Their actions reflected our department’s core values ​​and our commitment to protecting everyone in our city. I also want to thank the Dearborn community for their patience and support throughout the event. Working together, we will continue to ensure Dearborn remains a safe, respectful and welcoming place for everyone.”

Higby, who livestreamed political demonstrations on his YouTube channel, said that the night before the protest, while filming near a local mosque, he and his crew were followed by cars, people on foot and even a low-flying drone.

“It was very scary, frightening and disturbing,” he said.

At the same city council meeting, many participants offered very different views of the chaos.

Isaac Thomas, who described himself as one of the anti-Islam protesters, said their peaceful demonstration was “met with violence.” He claimed several people were attacked and said police officers were stunned by the size of the crowd.

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Isaac Thomas, who came to the anti-Islam Dearborn protest, said in his speech at the Dearborn City Council Meeting on November 18 that his peaceful protests were met with violence from counter-protesters. (via Dearborn City Council YouTube)

“Multiple people were attacked. This was recorded on video and we want to report the attacks to the police. So far the officers have refused to do this,” Thomas said, warning that “legal action” could be taken.

Counter-protesters affiliated with the far-left group By Any Means Necessary (BAMN) claimed police were not strong enough against anti-Islam demonstrators.

Detroit-based activist Adrian Lupkiewich, identified by local media as a transgender activist, told the council that police officers “did nothing to disperse the fascist crowd.”

“All they did was protect them, and that’s wrong,” Lupkiewich said, calling on the council to “stand in solidarity with the people here today condemning fascism” and to “fight” against what the activist called “the demagogic fascist movement led by Trump.”

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Detroit-based BAMN activist Liana Mulholland speaks at the Dearborn City Council Meeting on November 18, 2025. (Dearborn City Council Meeting via YouTube)

Liana Mulholland, another Detroit-based BAMN activist, praised counterprotesters for driving away anti-Islamic activists.

“When there were maybe fifty people around, they started taking a liking to three guys carrying banners because they got scared and ran away,” he said. “And I think that’s exactly the kind of action that’s needed. And I think Dearborn has really set a model for how to handle these situations.”

Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud acknowledged the unrest but praised residents for their composure.

“While children were singing on their way to school, dozens of protesters were marching through our streets shouting about Muslims in America,” he said. “Some were misled. Others came with hatred in their hearts… But still, Dearborn showed who we truly are… a place where neighbors stand up for each other, where pain is met with compassion.”

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Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, in a statement at the city council meeting on November 18, 2025, condemned the “hate” in the protests and said that it did not reflect the city’s values. (Dearborn City Council Meeting via YouTube)

According to MLive, the clashes began when Jake Lang, who participated in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, came to Michigan Avenue and tried to burn a Quran. Lang raised the lighter to set fire to the religious text, but counterprotesters knocked it out of his hand.

Later, after Lang slapped the Quran with a slice of bacon, a counter-protester ran away with the book.

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Fox News’ Landon Mion contributed to this report.