An improvised explosive device was thrown and ignited during a protest outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s official residence on Saturday, prompting a federal terrorism investigation, police said.
The incident occurred during a rally organized by far-right activist Jake Lang, who called on supporters to “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City.” A larger group of counter‑demonstrators had gathered nearby, and tensions escalated when one man hurled a smoking object at the protest area.
New York Police Department Commissioner Jessica Tisch said a preliminary analysis by the NYPD Bomb Squad confirmed the device was not a hoax or smoke bomb, but an improvised explosive capable of causing “serious injury or death.” A second device recovered at the scene was also undergoing examination.
Two men from Pennsylvania were arrested in connection with the explosive materials. The NYPD is working with the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and federal prosecutors as part of the ongoing investigation. Authorities later found a suspicious device inside a vehicle near the area, prompting limited evacuations before it was removed for testing.
Mayor Mamdani, whose home was the focus of the protest, condemned the violence, calling it “reprehensible” and saying that “violence at a protest is never acceptable.” He praised police for swiftly securing the scene and emphasized that such acts have no place in New York City.
No injuries have been reported. The probe is ongoing, and terrorism‑related charges are expected as authorities continue to assess the evidence.
