NYPD: Device Ignited at Gracie Mansion Protest Was Highly Dangerous IED
“Yesterday, white supremacist Jake Lang organized a protest outside Gracie Mansion rooted in bigotry and racism.”
In a Sunday statement, NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the department’s bomb squad determined that a device “ignited and deployed” at a protest outside Gracie Mansion in New York City the previous day was “not a hoax device or a smoke bomb,” but an “improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death.”
Tisch noted that “further analysis will be conducted, including on a second device.”
According to the New York Post, right-wing activist Jake Lang organized a protest on Saturday to oppose public Islamic calls to prayer. The event was disrupted by pro-Muslim counterprotesters, two of whom tossed devices at Lang’s group, one of which has been confirmed to be an IED.
Tisch reported that two pro-Muslim protesters, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, were arrested in connection with the incident and remain in police custody.
“The NYPD is working on this investigation with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI through our Joint Terrorism Task Force,” she added.
Three federal law enforcement sources told Fox News that both Balat and Kayumi “are believed to be U.S. citizens.”
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 a smoke bomb. It is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or…
— Jessica S. Tisch (@NYPDPC) March 8, 2026
News 12 New York reported, “The devices, which were a bit smaller than a football, appeared to be a jar wrapped in black tape, importantly, with nuts, bolts, and screws, along with a hobby fuse that could be lit.”
A second reporter said Tisch identified the men accused of hurling the devices as counterprotesters. While their names — Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi — might suggest this, the distinction is important because legacy media coverage has not clearly stated whether the suspects were from the group of protesters opposed to public Muslim prayer or part of the Muslim counterprotest group.
I wonder why they would do that.
BREAKING UPDATE: NYPD confirms the device used at Saturday's protest was a functioning IED capable of causing serious harm.#News12 #NYC #BreakingUpdate #Protest #NYPD #IED #CounterProtest #LocalNews #News #Crimehttps://t.co/rdZ2GXFzwK pic.twitter.com/Mkpg8maqiY
— News 12 New York (@News12) March 8, 2026
The distinction made no difference to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani either. Following Tisch’s statement, he issued one of his own. It began:
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.
His next remarks were even more infuriating. After condemning the violence, he attempted to shift blame onto the so-called “white supremacists,” who were merely protesting public Islamic calls to prayer in a predominantly Christian country.
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.
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…
— Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@NYCMayor) March 8, 2026
He needn’t worry. The legacy media has his back. Here are several headlines for the story on social media:
ABC News: “Police arrested several people after a smoke-generating ‘suspicious device’ was thrown during a protest at Gracie Mansion”
CBS News: “Suspicious devices ignited during protests near Manhattan’s Gracie Mansion,
Mamdani’s official residence”NBC New York: “Multiple arrests made after ‘suspicious devices’ found outside Gracie Mansion, home of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, during anti-Islam rally and counterprotest”
As the X user below notes, none of the titles accurately portray what happened.
Moreover, a disingenuous community note attached to the NBC post reads, “NYPD stated that the bombs were thrown at counter protesters and the perpetrators are named and in custody. They were not found. x.com/nypdnews/statu..”
The bogus link directs you to a nonexistent page: “Hmm…this page doesn’t exist.”
We have actual video of a now-identified man screaming “Allahu Akbar” and lighting/throwing an incendiary device.
Not one of these headlines accurately portrays what occurred. pic.twitter.com/LTMsI3VRol
— AG (@AGHamilton29) March 8, 2026
Elizabeth writes commentary for Legal Insurrection and The Washington Examiner. She is an academy fellow at The Heritage Foundation. Please follow Elizabeth on X or LinkedIn.
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Comments
I wonder, if I put a bunch of loudspeakers on top of my house and blasted loud rock & roll music five times per day, how would everyone react? If people complained, could I call them “RAYCISS” since middle aged white guys tend to like classic rock?
You could ask Noriega but he’s no longer with us.
Ask FBI “Hostage Rescue Team” commander Richard “Dick” Rogers, who did this to the Branch Davidians during the Waco siege. Though it wasn’t five times a day — it was all day and all night, It shouldn’t be too hard to find him, he’s retired by now and drawing full pension.
Is Lon Horiuchi his neighbor?
Janet Reno is Hillary Clinton’s Frankenstein.
Recall the media puff pieces noting that Reno in Retirement was going to do what she loved; tour the US in her little red Ford Courier.
You can’t use Reno and little in the same sentence.
Please do it in the middle of the street of Muslims with their butts up in the air
Something sexually inappropriate about that
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsm4poTWjMs This tune would be best.
Rock around the clock? Call to rock?
I’m okay with it.
Wang Dang Sweet Poontang
“Yesterday, white supremacist Jake Lang organized a protest outside Gracie Mansion rooted in bigotry and racism.”
The event was disrupted by pro-Muslim counterprotesters, two of whom tossed devices at Lang’s group, one of which has been confirmed to be an IED.
Tisch reported that two pro-Muslim protesters, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, were arrested in connection with the incident and remain in police custody.
So one guy I’ve never heard of had an event exercising his 1st Amendment right and the response was muslim terrorists tossing a bomb at them and it’s the first guy’s fault. Mandami going to Mandami.
Dangerous device ignited. Result—no serious harm
Dangerous mayor elected. Result—serious harm for years to come
Yeah, I love the photo. Two bike racks, no damage, not even scorched. A bunch of what look like hedge clipping twigs on the ground.
Those are barriers used for crowd or pedestrian control. They are all over NYC, often lined up along sidewalks to keep folks from being jostled into the street due to the density of the pedestrian traffic.
As for the rest? Yeah, a really informative picture.
There was no damage, because the device didn’t go off.
Ah, so it’s a photo of how much worse it could have been!
The criminal charges of “attempted murder” and even “terrorism” are almost always a case of “how much worse it could have been”. Should they not be punished severely?
Yes! And we should take whole albums of photos of the carnage that never happened!
Could this be Mamdani’s version of Omar’s apple cider vinegar attack?
I don’t see how. The attack wasn’t on him. And it was carried out by his supporters on his opponents. So I don’t see the comparison.
Allahu Akbar
That right there
Mamdani was elected to make NYC judenfrei. Period. You can forget all that crapola about free stuff and cost of living. Mamdani’s voters don’t actually care about that, and any decrease in the quality of life will be blamed on someone else.
Though he is coy about saying it, Mamdani is very much a part of “globalize the intifada”.
I think it’s judenrein but yeah.
For a moment I thought someone tried to bomb the mansion. I was thinking what a missed opportunity. Perhaps we could ask Israel to give a hand. They are view good at bombing muslim terrorists leaders.
To the lame press and the democratic politicians they enable, or is it the other way around?
You don’t have to be a white supremacist to dislike muslims or not want to be woken up at 5am by their howling caterwauling unneeded loud speakers. All you have to be is someone with common sense capable of recognizing groups and individuals who pose a threat to your country, your culture, and your life. Or someone who sleeps in to a reasonable time.
IS Jake Lang a “white supremacist”?
Didn’t remember ever hearing of the guy before, so I googled him.
LOTS of links to (L) folks calling him one, but I’ve learned to take that labeling with a grain (or more) of salt after seeing that label applied to most anyone not (L). It has more actual meaning than merely “we don’t like him”.
As far as I can tell he IS sorta a nutjob (used over-the-top violent rhetoric arguing with police), he was at the Capital J6 (arrested but still not prosecuted TWO years later, but no membership of legit hate groups or problematic social media presence ever given.
OC he was included in Trump’s mass pardon for J6 trespassers – but if that’s the criteria there’s a bunch of POCs who are also WS’s – which makes little to no sense. Unless calling someone a WS without cause is just now the alternative to calling someone a Nazi without cause.
IDK – (L)s like the SPLC are “crying wolf” so many times now they have no credibility imho.
The term WS is bandied around too freely, I don’t think most of those labeled WS are really WS.
You can oppose Islam or an aspect of Islam such as the call to prayer without being WS. Besides many Muslims are white including Iranians and I would also say arabs. Reflexively calling someone WS just because they don’t agree with you is both stupid and lazy which describes the media and other progressives to a T,
Old guy here, raised Catholic, growing up my family’s church (and other denomination’s churches) often had church bells and they would “ring out the hours”. It really wasn’t SPECIFICALLY a religious thing – it was just traditional – from before the advent of ubiquitous personal time pieces. Used to be a feature of City / Town halls and other govt buildings (like BigBen) as well, the just secular ones often with giant clock faces, in Europe sometimes with animated mechanical shows well before Disney did it.
At some point busybodies & Karens got involved and they’ve successfully silenced most church bells in the US. “Noice Pollution”, DYK.
If Churches have no right to church bells, which apparently they don’t if someone moves into the neighborhood and complains, I don’t see how Mosques have a right to daily use loudspeakers to broadcast what is essentially a short sermon to come worship at our mosque.
Church bells and adhan are subject to exactly the same rules and treatment. They’re allowed during the day. The early and late ones aren’t legally allowed, but if no one objects the city won’t go out of its way to enforce it. There is no place where mosques are allowed to violate noise restrictions while churches are not. It’s always both or neither.
I would differ to this extent.
Ringing out the hours is traditional in traditional Christian countries.
Calling for prayer ITIT Muslim countries.
But also traditional Muslim countries not only don’t allow freedom to ring church bells, they also don’t allow freedom to build (or even repair) churches.
In addition, chiming on the hour is not a specifically religious action, even if done by a church bell instead of (say) Big Ben – or a town hall like in BTTF.
There is no way you can argue with a straight face that an Islamic Call to prayer is NOT a specifically religious action – not without hypocrisy in play.
When it’s legal for a church to broadcast sermons and bible quotes over loudspeakers X times daily, then I’ll grant you mosques also have the right to broadcast CFPs.
There IS a double standard to how practice of religion is allowed – and it’s NOT in favor of Christians (or others) v Muslims.
Bob, obviously I’m talking about the USA, not Saudi Arabia! There is no place in the USA where mosques are treated better than churches in this regard, i.e. where mosques are allowed to violate noise restrictions but churches are not.
And in the USA the government can’t ban religious noise if it allows non-religious noise of the same volume and duration, at the same time of day. It can’t say that church bells will be allowed because they don’t inherently carry a religious message but adhan won’t be because it does. Any city that allows adhan to be broadcast at dawn must allow a church to broadcast a Bible verse at the same volume and for the same duration. There isn’t anywhere in the USA where that’s not the case. Generally both are technically illegal, but if no one complains they’re both tolerated.
Milhouse, there’s noise and then there’s “noise”.
As “noise” goes, the chiming of the hours is not very intrusive, it doesn’t demand your attention or preach religion to you. A Call to Prayer does both.
And you’re ignoring the problem of reciprocity – as in Islam really doesn’t practice it whereas other faiths do – often to a fault.
So your declaration ” There is no place where mosques are allowed to violate noise restrictions while churches are not.” is – in fact – and practice – not true.
Some freedoms and practices ONLY make sense when reciprocity is in play.
Under the Geneva Conventions things normally illegal BECOME legal when the other party refuses to play by the same playbook. Trump received a sh*tstorm of criticism for “illegal” tariffs and trade policies – when they’re arguably perfectly legal (and morally fair) when in response to predatory trade practices and tariffs that attack our trade. It’s legal (and morally fair) to reciprocate violence in self defense.
Civilization to survive MUST enforce civility on the uncivil – and reciprocity is the natural and often ONLY means of enforcement that actually works.
Depending on Strongly Worded Letters, or the endorphin rush from only taking The High Ground is voluntary suicide (slow or sometimes fast) for a person, a nation, a civilization, or a religion.
Bob, that the adhan preaches religion is completely irrelevant. No US government entity is allowed to take that into account.
And church bells are not just a clock, their purpose is to summon the faithful to prayers. So they’re no really different from the adhan.
There is no place in the USA, or in any other Western country, where mosques enjoy privileges that are not available to churches. None. What happens in Saudi Arabia is irrelevant to how we have to do things. The USA can’t break the law just because Saudi is a dictatorship where there are no rights.
And no, there is no such thing as “reciprocity”. Trump’s tariffs were illegal, and nothing any other country could do would have made them legal. There simply was no statutory authorization for them, and that is that.
Likewise the first amendment doesn’t give a sh*t what any other country does, nor what any religion teaches. In the USA all religions must be treated strictly equally. The government must not endorse any of them, nor may it restrict their free exercise. Noise regulations may only be enforced against them if they apply to all comparable noise equally. Any ordinance that’s intentionally designed to target mosques is automatically invalid and can’t be enforced.
He’s definitely a total nut case, but I don’t know about “white supremacist”.
lefty demands violence
“I wonder why they would do that.”
I wonder why YOU (LI) did that.
Go back and read your headline. Now read the subhead.
Clearly, the “white supremacist” was responsible for the “IED.”
“Muslim counterprotestors?” Gee, deserved a mention up there, no?
I don’t know who Jake Lang is but the bombs were made by two Muslim extremists, big surprise.
It is. They often blow their hands off.
“The device extinguished itself steps from police officers, Tisch noted. The same person who threw it then received a second device from another counterprotester, which was dropped and did not appear to ignite, the commissioner said.”
Richard Reid Enterprises — the Musllim answer to ACME.
Can I wish they had built them wrong so they went off in their hands? Or is that wishing evil upon my enemy?
Nothing wrong with wishing evil upon your enemy. See Psalm 109.
Psalm 109 is not about wishing evil upon your enemy. It’s about David beseeching God for justice against those that have wronged him
And? How is that not wishing evil on his enemies? Aren’t the two phrases completely identical? He’s pretty specific about what he wants God to do to them.
“The NYPD is working on this investigation with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI through our Joint Terrorism Task Force,” she added.”
I’m glad that this apparently will be prosecuted by the SDNY and not the Alvin Bragg. I have no confidence that he would prosecute this case aggressively.
They might start the investigation with the 2 muslims that built the bomb, screamed alluah akbar and threw it at someone. Just a thought
Bold strategy for NYC and the media to claim a muslim screaming Alluah Akbar and throwing a bomb at someone is the other persons fault because he is exercising his 1st Amendment right to assemble.
So, people weren’t killed by an explosive device not for lack of intent but instead because the person who built or used it was incompetent…
Something is rotten in Gracie Mansion.
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