Two men have been arrested and charged with terrorism-related offenses after allegedly throwing improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during an anti-Islam protest outside New York City's Gracie Mansion, the mayor's residence, on Saturday. The incident occurred while Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor, was not at home. The IEDs, described as glass jars filled with screws and bolts with fuses and explosive charges, failed to detonate, but authorities confirmed they were functional and could have caused serious injury or death.
The protest was organized by far-right agitator Jake Lang, a white Christian nationalist who was previously jailed for his role in the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol and has a criminal record including assaults and civil disorder. It drew a counter-protest of approximately 125 anti-fascist demonstrators. After a scuffle led to one arrest from Lang's group for pepper-spraying, two IEDs were thrown—one at the anti-Islam group and another near police lines.
New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch stated that the incident is being investigated as "an act of ISIS [Islamic State] inspired terrorism." The two suspects, aged 18 and 19, traveled from Pennsylvania and are under investigation for potential terror motives. Authorities conducted searches at two Pennsylvania homes and inspected a vehicle near the scene. Tisch noted that the incident does not appear linked to the current U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran but did not elaborate on why an ISIS connection is suspected.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned Lang's protest as "rooted in bigotry and racism," emphasizing that "such hate has no place in New York City." He also denounced the use of explosive devices as "criminal and reprehensible." The suspects were arraigned on Monday on charges including attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and using a weapon of mass destruction. In court, they reportedly smirked as allegations of their support for ISIS were read out; the complaint claims one yelled that "ISIS" made him carry out the attack, and both confessed allegiance to the Islamist terror group.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi took to social media, vowing that law enforcement "will not allow ISIS's poisonous, anti-American ideology to threaten this nation." Police and federal prosecutors are scheduled to hold a press conference later on Monday. This incident highlights ongoing societal tensions and security challenges within the U.S. regime, raising questions about the effectiveness of its counter-terrorism measures amid domestic divisions.
Source: www.dw.com