Two suspected Islamic extremists were arrested after allegedly tossing nail bombs at Christian protesters and police near Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
Protests and escalation
The confrontation began with a small right-wing demonstration against what organizers called the “Islamic Takeover of New York City” led by Jake Lang, which drew roughly 25 to 30 participants.
A larger counter-protest of about 125 people arrived and tensions quickly escalated into physical altercations between the groups.
The demonstrations started around 11 a.m. Eastern Time and clashes began not long after the crowd gathered.
About 30 minutes into the event a man from the counter-protest allegedly produced an explosive device and threw it toward Lang’s group, where it landed in a crosswalk near police officers and emitted flames and smoke before striking a barrier and going out.
The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Amir Balat, then reportedly obtained a second similar device from a 19-year-old accomplice and dropped it along East End Avenue after lighting it.
Authorities described the devices as smaller than a football, wrapped in black tape, and packed with nuts, bolts, screws, and a hobby fuse.
A graphic scene photo showed a device landing close to a group of NYPD officers, and Balat is reported to have shouted “Allah Akbar” before tossing the first device.
At the protest outside Gracie Mansion in NYC, a shocking moment was captured on video. In the exact second the incident unfolded, an Arab male can be seen running toward activist Jake Lang while yelling “Allahu Akbar,” holding what appears to be an explosive device before… pic.twitter.com/nyoKTYjEaZ
— Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) March 7, 2026
After dropping the second device Balat tried to flee but was tackled by a large contingent of NYPD officers.
The department’s bomb squad arrived to defuse the devices and secure the scene.
Six people were arrested in connection with the unrest, including Balat and his 19-year-old accomplice on charges related to handling the devices, while others faced arrest for pepper spray use and scuffles.
NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed the description of the devices at a press conference and said witnesses saw flames and smoke travel through the area before the device struck a barrier and extinguished itself a few feet from police officers.
She also described Balat’s movements, saying he ran southbound on East End Ave. toward E. 86th St. and retrieved a second device from a man tentatively identified as Ibrahim Nikk, 19 years old, which he lit and dropped between E. 86th and E. 87th Streets.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation and is treating the devices as a potential act of terrorism.
No injuries were reported from the devices, though the incident caused panic and people fled the area briefly.
Jake Lang later posted on social media that he survived what he called an “assassination attempt” by “two Muslim men,” saying the device landed three feet in front of him.
Lang has previously been stabbed and beaten by a mob of leftist agitators while staging a similar protest in Minneapolis.
Mamdani’s NYC. pic.twitter.com/9Z8tqmFHAc
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) March 8, 2026
