In this image taken from video, law enforcement officers respond to Manhattan’s Upper East Side as New York City’s police said they had identified a “suspicious device in a vehicle,” Sunday, March 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Joseph B. Frederick)An explosive device was thrown during a protest outside the official residence of Zohran Mamdani in New York City, prompting arrests and an investigation by authorities, according to police and reports from the Associated Press (AP).
Police said the incident occurred on Saturday near Gracie Mansion in Manhattan, where a small group of far-right protesters gathered. Counterprotesters later confronted them, leading to clashes.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said investigators found that one of the smoking devices thrown during the confrontation was an improvised explosive device (IED) that “could have caused serious injury or death.”
Two people — Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Nikk, 19 — were arrested in connection with the devices, police said. Authorities are still determining the charges. Four other individuals were also arrested after scuffles broke out during the protest.
The demonstration had been organised by right-wing activist Jake Lang, who protested near the mayor’s residence. Police said tensions escalated as more than 100 counterprotesters gathered at the scene.
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In a post on X on Sunday, Mayor Mamdani criticised the protest and the violence that followed.
“Yesterday, white supremacist Jake Lang organised a protest outside Gracie Mansion rooted in bigotry and racism. Such hate has no place in New York City,” Mamdani wrote.
Yesterday, white supremacist Jake Lang organized a protest outside Gracie Mansion rooted in bigotry and racism. Such hate has no place in New York City. It is an affront to our city’s values and the unity that defines who we are.
What followed was even more disturbing. Violence…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) March 8, 2026
He added that the attempted use of an explosive device during the protest was “not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.”
The mayor also thanked officers for responding quickly. “Our officers ran toward danger without hesitation, demonstrating once again the courage and dedication it takes to protect this city every single day,” he said.
Police said the mayor and his wife were not at home when the protest took place. The FBI and federal prosecutors are assisting the investigation.
