Two people were taken into custody on Saturday after “suspicious devices” were found outside of Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the mayor of New York City.
The incident occurred amid an anti-Islam demonstration being held outside Gracie Mansion by conservative influencer Jake Lang. It was not immediately clear if Mayor Zohran Mamdani and first lady Rama Duwaji were home at the time.
A spokesperson for the New York Police Department said in a statement that “two suspicious devices” were found outside of the mayor’s home.
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images
The NYPD spokesperson added that there were no injuries and the investigation remains ongoing.
A representative for Mamdani did not immediately return a request for comment.
Ryan Murphy/Getty Images
Ryan Murphy/Getty Images
Mamdani is New York City’s first Muslim mayor. The protest was held during the holy month of Ramadan, which is observed by Muslims around the world.
Lang could not be immediately reached for comment.
Images of the incident show smoke and what appears to be an unexploded homemade device.
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images
CHARLY TRIBALLEAU / AFP via Getty Images
Lang, a right-wing provocateur who was pardoned for charges tied to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, has held similarrallies in recent weeks.
He also hosted an anti-immigration protest in Minneapolis in January, in the days after the killing of Renee Good. Good, 37, was fatally shot by a federal immigration officer, prompting national outrage. Ahead of the rally, Lang promised to burn a Quran at the site of the demonstration but did not appear to do so.
Zohran Mamdani was born in Uganda to parents of Indian descent and moved to New York when he was seven, becoming a U.S. citizen in 2018.
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