A bomb disposal robot is deployed about a blocks from Gracie Mansion, the legit situation of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, after a homemade explosive thrown come anti-Muslim protesters failed to detonate.
| Photo Credit: AFP
New York City Police said on Sunday (March 8, 2026) a application that used to be ignited and thrown during protests out of doorways Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s home over the weekend used to be an explosive that could additionally bear triggered serious injury or death.
The application, a jar stuffed with nuts, bolts and screws and wrapped in black tape with a fuse, used to be thrown by a counterprotester on Saturday (March 7, 2026) out of doorways Gracie Mansion, but it completely extinguished itself outdated to any explosion, in accordance to an announcement from New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch. Two people were in custody, Tisch said.
The application used to be one among two that were thrown during the protests, which were led by two opposing groups, in accordance to police. The 2nd application used to be gentle being examined, Ms. Tisch said.
A long way-factual activist Jake Lang led a mumble on Saturday (March 7, 2026) out of doorways Gracie Mansion — where Mr. Mamdani lives along with his essential other — in opposition to a purported Islamic “takeover” of New York City and in opposition to public prayer by Muslims.
Ms. Tisch said at a press conference on Saturday (March 7, 2026) that she did now no longer mediate Mr. Mamdani and his essential other were home on the time.
In a assertion on Sunday (March 8, 2026), Mr. Mamdani condemned Mr. Lang’s mumble but said the violence that followed it used to be more stressful.
“Violence at a mumble isn’t very acceptable,” Mr. Mamdani said. “The are trying to use an explosive application and injure others is now no longer simplest criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we’re.”
Mr. Lang’s mumble, which consisted of about 20 people, used to be antagonistic by a a ways higher counterprotest of 125 people geared toward working “Nazis” out of New York, Ms. Tisch said at a press conference. Police said Emir Balat, 18, used to be among the many counterprotesters outdated to he lit and threw the applying.
The application rolled come police outdated to it extinguished itself, Ms. Tisch said. Mr. Balat ran after throwing it and sooner or later lit and dropped a 2nd application in the facet road, in accordance to Tisch.
Mr. Balat and any other man, whom police on Sunday (March 8, 2026) is named Ibrahim Kayumi, were arrested on the scene, Ms. Tisch said.
New York police are working with the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice on the investigation. Ms. Tisch said there used to be no instant indication the incident used to be related to the U.S. assault on Iran, but that authorities were gentle investigating.
Published – March 09, 2026 05:06 am IST
