On Saturday, two individuals were taken into custody after “suspicious devices” were discovered outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Gracie Mansion residence during an anti-Islam rally organized by Jake Lang, a pardoned Jan. 6 insurrectionist.
The New York City Police Department informed JS via email that they were made aware of two suspicious devices at the location. However, it was not specified whether the devices were linked to the participants of the anti-Islam rally or counterprotesters.
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It is uncertain whether Mayor Mamdani or his wife, Rama Duwaji, were present at the time. Fortunately, no injuries or property damage were reported.
“Two persons of interest were apprehended, and the investigation is ongoing,” the statement added.
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The incident transpired at an anti-Islam rally hosted by Lang, a right-wing figure campaigning for U.S. Senate, urging “NYC CHRISTIANS” to oppose “THE ISLAMIFICATION OF NYC & AMERICA & ALL OF EUROPE!!!!”
Lang informed his followers via social media that he narrowly escaped an “assassination attempt” by “two Muslim men.”
“The homemade bomb they threw landed 3 feet in front of me,” Lang shared. “The detonator failed to ignite, because God is on the throne of my life. We will never surrender to Islam.”
The rally, coinciding with Ramadan, included Lang hosting a pig roast as a symbolic gesture against Islam’s prohibition of pork consumption, The New York Daily News reported. The event escalated into altercations between anti-Islam demonstrators and counterprotesters outside Mayor Mamdani’s residence.
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The situation turned violent as Lang emerged from a U-Haul with a goat, AMNY reported. At one point, a far-right protester used pepper spray on individuals. A witness recounted seeing pepper spray being deployed with children nearby.
“At least four people were affected,” the witness stated.
Lang has participated in numerous rallies subsequent to his pardon by President Donald Trump. In January, he claimed to have been stabbed by a counterprotester during a pro-ICE rally in Minneapolis. However, Minneapolis police indicated that no formal report had been filed.
