NYPD Says Device Thrown by Counterprotesters Near Mayor Mamdani’s Home Was an IED

The incident occurred on March 7 as an anti-Islam protester pepper-sprayed counterprotesters, two of whom responded with explosive devices, police say.

Law enforcement officers respond to Manhattan's Upper East Side as New York City's police said they identified a "suspicious device in a vehicle” on March 8, 2026. Joseph B. Frederick/AP Photo

The New York Police Department (NYPD) said on March 8 that an improvised explosive device (IED) was ignited and thrown by counterprotesters outside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s residence over the weekend.

The incident occurred on March 7 as around 20 anti-Islam protesters clashed with a few counterprotesters near Gracie Mansion, where Mamdani and his wife resided, said police.