New York — A counter-protester demonstrating against a “Stop Islamist Takeover of New York City” event on Saturday lit a fire and threw a device containing nuts, bolts and screws into the protesting crowd after someone from that group used pepper spray at the counter-protest, police said.
Commissioner Jessica Tisch said police were investigating the incident that began late Saturday morning when someone from the anti-Islam protest linked to conservative influencer Jake Lange fired pepper spray at a counter-protest group near Mayor Gracie Mansion.
Tensions continued to escalate, she said, when a counter-protest participant lit a fire and threw a device she described as smaller than a soccer ball into the crowd of protesters of about 20 people.
She added that the device hit a barrier and went off by itself “a few feet away from the police officers.” Then the same person ran, and another person gave him a second device, which he then dropped. The devices, which Tesch said were smaller than a football, were wrapped in black tape along with nuts, bolts and bolts, as well as a hobby fuse that could be ignited. She said it was unclear whether these devices worked or were a hoax.
Tesh said that the three people have been arrested, and the investigation is still ongoing.
Tesh did not report any injuries during a press conference and said she believed Mayor Zahran Mamdani was not in the residence at the time.
Lang was previously charged with assaulting an officer with a baseball bat, civil disorder and other crimes before receiving clemency as part of that President Donald Trump’s sweeping clemency law For the accused on January 6 of last year. Lange recently announced his candidacy for U.S. Senate in Florida.
Lange also protested in Minneapolis During the Trump administration’s campaign against immigration.
About 20 people participated in the associated protest on Saturday, and the counter-protest had about 125 people at its peak, Tesch said.