A Florida man is charged with felony property damage after prosecutors say he vandalized an ice sculpture displayed outside the Minnesota State Capitol.
The incident happened Thursday, Feb. 5 around 2:30 p.m. on the State Capitol grounds in Saint Paul.
Prosecutors charged 30-year-old Edward Jacob Lang, of Lake Worth, Fla,, with first-degree damage to property. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both. Prosecutors say Lang caused damage exceeding $1,000.
Troopers working at the Capitol were alerted to damage involving a permitted art installation made of large ice blocks spelling “PROSECUTE ICE.” Investigators say the display was part of a scheduled event authorized to remain on Capitol property between 6:30 a.m. and 11:30 p.m. that day.
Authorities arrested Lang after determining the damage met the felony threshold. Court records show Lang requested to be placed in protective custody at the jail and the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office agreed to accommodate the request. Investigators say Lang declined to provide a custodial statement but asked officers to relay a message to prosecutors stating he was “creating art” and exercising his First Amendment rights.
Lang made an initial court appearance Friday afternoon in Ramsey County District Court and was released without bail under interim conditions that require him to stay at least three blocks away from the Minnesota State Capitol in all directions. Court records say the order remains in effect until modified by the court and that Lang could be arrested without a warrant if he violates the restriction.
Court records show Lang is scheduled to return to court for an omnibus hearing March 3.
Lang is a Florida-based political activist who gained national attention for his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, where he faced federal charges including assaulting law enforcement and civil disorder. Those charges were later dismissed after he received a presidential pardon in 2025. Since then, Lang has remained active in political demonstrations and online advocacy centered largely on immigration and law enforcement issues.
Earlier in the Twin Cities, Lang held a small protest in downtown Minneapolis in mid-January that drew both supporters and a much larger crowd of counter-protesters who outnumbered his group and disrupted the planned march.
Lang also promoted plans for an event at the Minnesota State Capitol on Feb. 7. It’s still unclear whether Lang will attend that event in light of the geographic restrictions imposed by the court.
