An improvised explosive device was thrown near an anti-Islam protest outside the New York mayor’s residence on Saturday, an incident police say could have caused “serious injury or death,” leading to the arrest of two men, including a suspect reported to be of Turkish descent.
The New York Police Department (NYPD) said Sunday that a device deployed during the protest was not a hoax or smoke bomb but a functioning improvised explosive device (IED).
“The NYPD Bomb Squad has conducted a preliminary analysis of a device that was ignited and deployed at a protest yesterday and has determined that it is not a hoax device or smoke bomb. It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device,” the police said in a statement.
Police identified the main suspect as Emir Balat, 18, a US citizen whose parents were born in Turkey and later became naturalized American citizens in 2017, according to US media reports. Another man, Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, was also arrested after allegedly handing Balat one of the devices.
The incident occurred outside Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s first Muslim mayor.
The protest was organized by far-right influencer Jake Lang, who opposes public Muslim prayer and has warned of what he describes as the “Islamification” of New York. About 20 people attended the protest, while roughly 125 counter protesters gathered nearby, according to police.
Witnesses said Balat threw an ignited device toward the protest area at around 12:38 p.m. Police said the object appeared to be a jar wrapped in tape containing nuts, bolts and screws, typical components of an improvised explosive, along with a hobby fuse that could be lit.
Witnesses reported seeing flames and smoke as the device traveled through the air before striking a barrier a few feet from police officers and extinguishing itself, NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
An AFP correspondent at the scene reported hearing Balat shout “Allahu akbar” (“God is the greatest”) during the incident.
Police said Balat had received the device from Kayumi before dropping it near a line of officers and jumping over a crash barrier. He also threw a similar device near Lang’s group of protesters.
Both men were arrested at the scene and remain in custody, according to police.
On Sunday the NYPD bomb squad also inspected a nearby vehicle using a robot after officers reported discovering a “suspicious device.” A police spokesperson said it was not immediately clear whether the discovery was connected to Saturday’s incident.
Mayor Mamdani condemned the violence, saying the use of an explosive device during a protest was unacceptable.
“The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are,” Mamdani said in a statement, adding that his administration is monitoring the situation.
The NYPD said it is working with the FBI and the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York through the Joint Terrorism Task Force as the investigation continues.
Police said there was no indication that the incident was related to ongoing hostilities involving Iran.
Agence France-Presse with reporting from Turkish Minute