NYPD confirms lit device was explosive in Gracie Mansion protest clash

"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."

"Yesterday, white supremacist Jake Lang organized a protest outside Gracie Mansion rooted in bigotry and racism. Such hate has no place in New York City. It is an affront to our city's values and the unity that defines who we are."

"Violence at a protest is never acceptable. The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are."

A violent clash erupted Saturday outside Gracie Mansion between an anti-Islam demonstration led by conservative influencer Jake Lang and counterprotesters. NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch confirmed that a lit device recovered from the scene was an improvised explosive device capable of causing serious injury or death, not a hoax or smoke bomb. A second device was also recovered and remains under investigation. Mayor Zohran Mamdani condemned Lang's protest as rooted in bigotry and racism, stating such hate has no place in New York City. Mamdani also denounced the violence and the use of explosives as criminal and reprehensible, praising the NYPD for their swift response in protecting public safety.

Read at NBC New York