New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch will be holding a news conference Monday at Gracie Mansion, where homemade bombs were ignited during protests.
Officials said two devices found at the mayor’s residence were improvised explosive devices, or IEDs, that could have seriously injured or killed someone. A third is being investigated.
The FBI also launched a terrorism investigation into the incident. So far, two people from Pennsylvania were taken into custody regarding the suspicious devices.
CBS News New York will stream the news conference live at 9 a.m. It can be viewed in the live player on this page.
Clashing protests escalated outside Gracie Mansion
An anti-Islam protest with about 20 participants was organized by people associated with Jake Lang, a pardoned Jan. 6 rioter and far-right influencer, Tisch said. They arrived outside Mamdani’s Upper East Side home at about 11 a.m. Saturday.
A counterprotest drew more than 100 participants to the area where tensions started to escalate just after noon.
An individual from the initial protest used pepper spray against the counter-protesters, officers said. Shortly after 12:30 p.m., a counter-protester, identified as Emir Balat, 18, lit and threw an ignited device at protesters, according to police.
Balat then retrieved a second device from Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, and lit the device. He started running with it before dropping it, officials said.
A left-wing activist flees after throwing a homemade explosive device towards police during a protest organized by far-right influencer Jake Lang against alleged “Islamification” and to ask for a “stop of public Muslim prayer” in New York, in front of Gracie Mansion, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s official residence, on March 7, 2026.
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU /AFP via Getty Images
NYPD bomb squad removed IEDs
Law enforcement sources said the devices consisted of a sports drink bottle filled with explosive material inside glass jars. The jars were wrapped in black tape with nuts and bolts. The fuse was connected to a firework, but officials said it could’ve gone off when it hit the ground.
A homemade explosive device is seen on the ground after a left-wing protester throws the device at a demonstration held by far-right influencer Jake Lang outside Gracie Mansion in New York City, United States, on March 7, 2026.
Matthew Hoen/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Another suspicious device was found Sunday in a car about three blocks south of Gracie Mansion. The NYPD said it was safely removed for testing.
Mamdani’s statement on the incident
Mamdani was inside his home at the time of the protests, according to police.
He released a statement Sunday regarding the incident.
“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 at a protest is never acceptable. The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.
I want to thank the brave men and women of the NYPD who acted quickly to keep New Yorkers safe. Our officers ran toward danger without hesitation, demonstrating once again the courage and dedication it takes to protect this city every single day.
My administration is closely monitoring the situation and I remain in close contact with our Police Commissioner.”