Explosives thrown outside New York Mayor Zahran Mamdani’s residence; 6 people arrested –

Manhattan police arrested six people on Saturday after a protest outside Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York City Mayor Zahran Mamdani, turned violent when “flaming devices” were thrown during clashes between demonstrators.Authorities said a protester threw two smoke projectiles containing nails and screws during the confrontation, leading to an investigation and multiple arrests.A video clip circulated online showed one person handing the device to another shortly before he was arrested outside the palace.

Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the packages looked like improvised objects. “The bomb squad responded and… based on

“On initial examination and X-ray imaging, the devices, which were slightly smaller than a football, appeared to be a jar wrapped in black tape — and more importantly, contained nuts, bolts and bolts as well as a hobby fuse that could be ignited,” Tesch said.Tesch added: “We do not yet know whether it contains active (explosive) materials.”Tesh said in the details of the incident, “Eyewitnesses reported seeing flames and smoke as they moved through the air before they hit a barrier and extinguished themselves a few feet away from the police officers.”

The FBI’s New York field office later confirmed that it had recovered “two suspicious objects” from the area near Gracie’s mansion. The office said its Joint Terrorism Task Force is now investigating the incident along with the NYPD.What triggered the accident?The incident began when far-right activist Jake Lange organized a “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” demonstration near the residence of New York Mayor Mamdani, the first Muslim mayor of New York City.Lange arrived with about 20 supporters, some wearing American flag hats and jackets emblazoned with “Freedom,” a slogan associated with slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. He also brought a goat to the protest.As the rally continued, more than 100 counter-protesters arrived at the scene, chanting at Lange and his supporters. Tensions quickly rose.Police said one of Lang’s supporters used pepper spray on a group of counter-protesters, causing several people to cry.

Shortly after, fistfights broke out, and objects including raw eggs were thrown into the crowd.During the chaos, a protester threw two smoking objects, one of which landed on East 87th Street and caught fire, sending people nearby running for cover.Police identified a number of people who were arrested during the protest.Among them was Amir Balat, 18, of Langhorne, Pennsylvania, who authorities say threw smoking devices toward the crowd. Ibrahim Nik, 19 years old, is accused of providing one of the items used in the incident. Another arrest included Ian McGuinness, 21, who police said used pepper spray on counter-protesters during the clashes.Authorities said the charges against Balat and Nick are still being determined pending device analysis. McGinnis is expected to face reckless endangerment charges, according to a former senior law enforcement official, the New York Times reported.Police said Mayor Mamdani and his wife were not at Gracie Mansion when the protest occurred.New York Governor Kathy Hochul said she was briefed on the situation. While recognizing the right to protest, she stressed that violence will not be tolerated. She said the state respects peaceful demonstrations but has “zero tolerance for hatred or violence.”