An anti-Islam protest and a counter-protest took place simultaneously in front of the residence of New York City Mayor Zoran Mamdani, a Muslim, resulting in clashes. A total of six people, including two men who threw explosives, were arrested during the protest.
According to US media outlets such as NBC News on the 8th, two protests with opposing themes took place simultaneously in front of the mayor’s residence on the Upper East Side of Manhattan the previous day. About 20 people participated in the anti-Islam protest, organized by far-right influencer Jake Lang, with slogans such as “Stop Islam from taking over New York City” and “End Muslim prayer services in public places in New York City.”
About 120 counter-protesters also gathered at the scene, chanting slogans such as “Get the Nazis out of New York” and “Stand up to hate.” Tensions escalated around noon as the two sides confronted each other. When one anti-Islam protester sprayed pepper spray at the other side, two men, aged 18 and 19, each threw an improvised explosive device in quick succession. The ignited devices struck a police barricade and fell onto the crosswalk. The devices, smaller than a soccer ball, were found to be contained in a bottle wrapped in black tape, along with nuts, bolts, screws, and a fuse for use as a fuse.
The New York City Police Department announced on Twitter that day, “Preliminary analysis has confirmed that the device is not a fake explosive or smoke bomb, but rather an improvised explosive device capable of causing serious injury or death.” Police have arrested six people, including the two who threw the explosives, on charges of pepper spray use, affray, and obstructing traffic.
One of the two suspects in the bombing reportedly directly mentioned the Islamic State (IS) during his statement to police. AFP also reported that the man was heard shouting “Allahu Akbar” (Arabic for “God is greatest”) at the scene. The incident is being investigated jointly by the New York City Police Department, the Southern District of New York Attorney General’s Office, and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Lang, who organized the protest, was previously charged with assaulting a police officer and causing a disturbance but was released last year when President Donald Trump pardoned those involved in the January 6th Capitol riot. He has recently been organizing a series of Islamic protests and has also announced his candidacy for the Florida Senate, the Associated Press reported. Mayor Mamdani is New York City’s first Muslim mayor. The protest took place during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Police said Mayor Mamdani and his wife were staying at their residence at the time of the incident, but there were no injuries.
On that day, Mayor Mamdani criticized Lang at X, calling him a “white supremacist” and saying, “(He) organized a protest based on racism and bigotry,” and that “this kind of hate has no place in New York City.” Regarding the bombing, he wrote, “Violence at protests is absolutely unacceptable,” and “Attempting to use explosives and harm others is not only a crime, but also reprehensible and goes against who we are.”