A dangerous escalation at a protest outside the mayor’s house, known as Gracie Mansion, has led to the arrest of two men after an improvised explosive device (IED) was hurled into a crowd. The NYPD confirmed Sunday that the weapon, a jar packed with homemade explosives, nuts, bolts, and screws, was a “lethal” device designed to inflict maximum harm.
The chaos erupted Saturday afternoon during dueling demonstrations outside the home of New York City’s first Muslim mayor, Zohran Mamdani. What began as a standoff between a small anti-Islam group and a much larger crowd of counter-protesters turned physical around midday. After a member of the anti-Islam group allegedly used pepper spray on the crowd, 18-year-old Emir Balat reportedly ignited a fuse and tossed a shrapnel-filled jar toward the opposing side.
“Witnesses reported seeing flames and smoke as it traveled through the air before it struck a barrier and extinguished itself a few feet from police officers,” NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said during a press conference. Balat then allegedly retrieved a second device from 19-year-old Ibrahim Nikk and attempted to light it before being tackled by officers.
The NYPD Bomb Squad’s X-ray analysis revealed that the jars were not hoaxes or mere smoke bombs.
“The NYPD Bomb Squad has conducted a preliminary analysis… and has determined that it is not a hoax device or a smoke bomb,” Commissioner Tisch stated. “It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death.”
Tisch also confirmed that the incident “is being investigated as an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism.”
Mayor Mamdani, who was not at the residence during the attack, praised the quick response of the officers who ran toward the ignited explosives. However, he condemned the underlying hatred that fueled the afternoon’s events.
“Violence at a protest is never acceptable,” the Mayor said. “The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.”
In total, six people were taken into custody, with Balat and Nikk facing the most severe charges as the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force joins the investigation. While no injuries were reported, the presence of volatile TATP-style explosives in a crowded public space has put the city on high alert during the holy month of Ramadan.
