New York City police locked down part of Manhattan's Upper East Side on Sunday after discovering a suspicious device in a vehicle linked to an improvised explosive device thrown during Saturday's protests near Gracie Mansion. The incident involved clashes between opposing demonstrations, with two suspects arrested for deploying the explosives. Authorities, including the FBI, are probing potential terrorism ties.
On Saturday, March 7, 2026, two opposing protests gathered near East End Avenue and East 87th Street in Manhattan's Upper East Side, close to Gracie Mansion, the residence of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. One demonstration, organized by activist Jake Lang and titled 'Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City, Stop New York City Public Muslim Prayer,' drew fewer than two dozen participants. A larger counter-protest, labeled 'Run the Nazis out of New York City, Stand Against Hate,' attracted over 100 people.
Tensions escalated when an 18-year-old counter-protester allegedly ignited and threw a device toward the smaller group. The device struck a barrier and extinguished near officers. Investigators described it as a glass jar wrapped in tape, packed with metal shrapnel such as nuts and bolts, and fitted with a fuse. Authorities confirmed it was a genuine improvised explosive device capable of causing serious injury or death. The suspect attempted to deploy a second device before intervention.
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated on Sunday, '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 death.' The second device remains under analysis.
Two individuals, Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, both from Pennsylvania, were arrested in connection with the explosives. Additional arrests included one protester for using pepper spray. Reports indicate both suspects admitted to being inspired by ISIS, though officials see no link to military actions in Iran. The devices reportedly contained triacetone triperoxide (TATP) explosives in sports drink bottles inside glass jars packed with nails, bolts, and screws, connected to an M-80-type firework fuse.
The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force has joined the investigation, alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. Suspects' recent travels include Balat's stay in Istanbul from May to August 2025 and Kayumi's visits to Istanbul in July-August 2024 and Saudi Arabia in March 2024.
On Sunday, March 8, 2026, police identified another suspicious device in a parked vehicle on East End Avenue between 81st and 82nd Streets, prompting a lockdown, limited evacuations, and bomb squad response. The area was frozen as officers assessed its connection to the prior incident; functionality remains unconfirmed.
Mayor Mamdani issued a statement condemning both the protest led by Lang, which he described as 'rooted in bigotry and racism,' and the subsequent violence: 'The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.' He praised NYPD officers for their quick action. Officials urged residents to avoid the area as streets remain closed and the investigation continues.
