Two teenagers have been charged with terrorism offences and using a weapon of mass destruction after allegedly throwing improvised explosive devices during an anti-Islam protest outside the residence of New York City's mayor, Zohran Mamdani.
The incident took place on Saturday during a demonstration by rightwing agitators outside Gracie Mansion on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Neither device exploded, and both were made safe by the NYPD bomb squad. Mayor Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor, and his family were not at home at the time.
A federal criminal complaint identified the suspects as Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, both from Pennsylvania. They were expected to be arraigned on Monday afternoon. According to the document, Balat threw the devices after receiving them from Kayumi, and both allegedly declared allegiance to the Islamic State terror group. They face five charges, including attempted provision of material support to a designated terrorist organisation and unlawful possession of destructive devices.
Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the devices contained triacetone triperoxide (TATP), a homemade and highly volatile explosive. “These were not hoax devices, nor smoke bombs,” she said. “They were improvised explosive devices that could have caused serious injury or death.” Tisch confirmed the attack was being investigated as an act of ISIS-inspired terrorism, adding that investigators were aware of recent international travel by the pair.
Mayor Mamdani praised the “swift and decisive actions” of police officers who arrested the suspects and secured the devices. He said New York City would never tolerate violence, whether from protests or counter-protests. “Anti-Muslim bigotry is nothing new to me,” he added. The protest, organised by far-right influencer Jake Lang, drew about 20 people, with dozens more attending as counter-protesters.
