{"id":2577491,"date":"2026-03-08T20:33:58","date_gmt":"2026-03-09T00:33:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pro-islam-counterprotester-arrested-after-deploying-an-explosive-outside-in-nyc\/"},"modified":"2026-03-08T20:37:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T00:37:29","slug":"pro-islam-counterprotester-arrested-after-deploying-an-explosive-outside-in-nyc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/pro-islam-counterprotester-arrested-after-deploying-an-explosive-outside-in-nyc\/","title":{"rendered":"Pro-Islam counterprotester arrested after deploying an explosive outside in NYC"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpro-islam-counterprotester-arrested-after-deploying-an-explosive-outside-in-nyc%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2577491&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In New York City, outside Gracie mansion, a clash between right-wing protesters and pro-Islam counterprotesters escalated into a confrontation on a Saturday. Police said a counterprotester ignited and attempted to deploy an improvised explosive device near the area where right-wing influencer Jake Lang was gathered with supporters. The device struck a barrier and extinguished itself a few feet from police officers; no injuries were reported.Two counterprotesters, Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Nikk, 19, were arrested at the scene, with charges not yet resolute, and the NYPD Bomb Squad determined the device could have caused serious injury or death. Four other people were arrested, including Ian McGinnis, 21, who pepper-sprayed counterprotesters; charges included reckless endangerment, assault, and unlawful possession of noxious matter.<\/p>\n<p>A second suspicious device was later found about three blocks from Gracie Mansion, prompting evacuations while the Bomb Squad removed it. Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned the violence, calling Lang a white supremacist, and said he was in close contact with NYPD leadership as the FBI\u2019s Joint Terrorism Task force led the federal inquiry. Search warrants were anticipated in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Lang, who had led the protest, reportedly drew a large counterprotest crowd and had earlier appeared with a goat, while Mamdani\u2019s residence became the focal point of the confrontation.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Pro-Islam counterprotester arrested after deploying explosive device outside Mamdani residence<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2525273\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/new-york-city\/\">New York City<\/a>&nbsp;police said an improvised explosive device was ignited and deployed by at least one pro-Islam counterprotester during a <\/span>violent clash with right-wing<span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"> protesters<\/span> <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">outside Gracie Mansion, <\/span>the Upper East Side home of New York&rsquo;s first Muslim mayor, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/zohran-mamdani\/\" type=\"post_tag\" id=\"11802\">Zohran Mamdani<\/a><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">, on Saturday.<\/span>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Two people were in custody after New York City police said they attempted to ignite suspicious homemade devices during a &ldquo;Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City&rdquo; rally led by&nbsp;Jake Lang, a 30-year-old right-wing conservative influencer, previously <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/justice\/3293179\/trump-announces-mass-clemency-pardons-january-6-defendants\/\">pardoned<\/a> for his involvement in the Jan. 6 riot. The NYC protest drew a large crowd of over 100 counterprotesters, and one demonstrator threw an ignited device toward Lang&rsquo;s area, police said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4484519\/nypd-investigate-suspicious-device-anti-islam-protest-brawl\/\">NYPD investigates suspicious devices at anti-Islam protest brawl<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/world\/4484409\/nyc-vigil-ayatollah-khamenei-violent-protestor-clash\/\">NYC vigil for Ali Khamenei turns violent as protestors clash<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4481678\/aaron-spencer-wins-arkansas-sheriff-primary-accused-murder\/\">Aaron Spencer wins Arkansas sheriff primary after being accused of murdering man who assaulted his daughter<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NYPDPC\/status\/2030695186410463401?s=20\">said Sunday<\/a> that the &ldquo;NYPD Bomb Squad has conducted a preliminary analysis of a device and has determined that it is, in fact, an improvised explosive device that could have caused serious injury or death.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Emir Balat, 18, the counterprotester accused of throwing that device and another smoking projectile, and Ibrahim Nikk, 19, who is accused of supplying one of them, were arrested at the scene on Saturday, the police said. No injuries were reported in the incident.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >left-wing activist flees<\/a> after throwing a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/heavily-armed-man-found-dead-at-amusement-park-near-message-written-on-wall\/\" title=\"Armed Man Found Dead at Park with Cryptic Message\">homemade explosive device<\/a> towards police during a protest organized by far-right influencer Jake Lang against alleged &ldquo;Islamification&rdquo; and to ask for a &ldquo;stop of public Muslim prayer&rdquo; in New York, in front of Gracie Mansion, NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani&rsquo;s official residence, on March 7, 2026. (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU \/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Charges against Mr. Balat, of Langhorne, Pa., and Mr. Nikk, of Newton, Pa., had not been determined as of Sunday, the police said.<\/p>\n<p>Officers also arrested four other people, including Ian McGinnis, 21, of Philadelphia, who pepper-sprayed the counterprotesters. He was charged with reckless endangerment, assault, and unlawful possession of noxious matter, the police said on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p>NYPD sources said that McGinnis appears to be a part of the initial protests called &ldquo;Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City.&rdquo; He was allegedly captured on video using pepper spray on counter-protesters. Three other people were charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction charges.<\/p>\n<p>The incident that occurred on Saturday near Gracie Mansion happened while Mamdani and his wife were home, around 11 a.m. local time. <\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/4484519\/nypd-investigate-suspicious-device-anti-islam-protest-brawl\/?utm_source=NYPD%20investigates%20suspicious%20devices%20at%20anti-Islam%20protest%20brawl_03\/07\/2026&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=WEX_News%20Brief&amp;rid=63&amp;env=15ba1a1ff4bcb81153665d5aa6e0fd7c08ddfa3bae124e8876d99aaf8335d06d\"><strong>NYPD INVESTIGATES SUSPICIOUS DEVICES AT ANTI-ISLAM PROTEST BRAWL<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Lang is said to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/03\/07\/nyregion\/gracie-mansion-protests.html\">have shown up<\/a> with a goat and about 20 followers at the initial start of the protest, who were wearing American flag hats and &ldquo;Freedom&rdquo; sweatshirts, echoing the slogan on a shirt worn by the slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. As the protest continued, a crowd of counterprotesters grew.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">NEW YORK, NEW YORK &ndash; MARCH 7: Right-wing influencer Jake Lang carries a goat at a protest organized by the influencer on March 7, 2026 in New York City. Lang is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/s-d-gov-noem-calls-for-ag-to-resign-after-2020-fatal-crash\/\" title=\"S.D. Gov. Noem calls for AG to resign after 2020 fatal crash\">facing misdemeanor charges<\/a> in D.C. Superior Court for making threatening statements to a police officer. (Photo by Ryan Murphy\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Police said tensions escalated late Saturday morning when a brawl broke out between the protesting groups. Amid the fighting, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nypd-says-improvised-explosive-device-was-deployed-at-anti-islam-protest\/\" title=\"NYPD says ... was deployed at anti...Islam ...\">counterprotester reportedly screamed &#038;ldquo<\/a>;Allahu Akbar&rdquo; and threw a device toward the crowd.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The device struck a barrier and extinguished itself a few feet from police officers, authorities said, <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.com\/US\/4-arrested-after-suspicious-device-thrown-protest-nyc\/story?id=130863389\">describing the device<\/a> as &ldquo;a jar wrapped in black tape, with nuts, bolts and screws, along with a hobby fuse that could be lit.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">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, 2025. (Matthew Hoen\/NurPhoto via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>On Sunday, another suspicious device was found inside about three blocks from Gracie Mansion, the&nbsp;<a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NYPDnews\/status\/2030744968218718218?s=20\">NYPD<\/a>&nbsp;said. The discovery of the device prompted some evacuations of buildings in the area while the Bomb Squad assesses and removes the device. &nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/premium\/4482449\/trump-gets-the-last-laugh-whca-dinner\/\"><strong>HUGO GURDON: TRUMP GETS THE LAST LAUGH<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Mamdani <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NYCMayor\/status\/2030704552765263946?s=20\" type=\"link\" id=\"https:\/\/x.com\/NYCMayor\/status\/2030704552765263946?s=20\">issued a statement<\/a> about the events at the protest, labeling Lang as a &ldquo;white supremacist&rdquo; and saying violence at protests is unacceptable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Mamdani said he is in close contact with Tisch as the NYPD partners with the FBI&rsquo;s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which has taken the lead on the federal investigation. Search warrants were expected to be executed in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Pro-Islam protester arrested after explosive device<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4204,"featured_media":2577492,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26065855840837.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[5175,52609,12595,7332,75377],"class_list":["post-2577491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-arrest","tag-counterprotester","tag-explosive","tag-nyc","tag-pro-islam"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/AP26065855840837.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2577491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4204"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2577491"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2577491\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2577495,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2577491\/revisions\/2577495"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2577492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2577491"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2577491"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2577491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}