Protest Turns Violent, Homemade Devices Thrown

0:00On March 8, tensions boiled over Saturday morning, near Gracie Mansion, during an anti-Islam protests, organized by folks linked to conservative figure, Jake Lang. A counter-protester lit and hurled a homemade device packed with nuts, bolts, and screws at the crowd right after someone from the protest group. Sprayed pepper spray at opponents. The small device wrapped in black tape and smaller than a football hit a barrier just a few feet from police officers and fizzled out. The thrower then grabbed a second one from an accomplice, but dropped it while fleeing. No one got hurt in the chaos, and officials confirmed Mayor Zoran Mamdani wasn't even at the residence. Police quickly nabbed all three involved and kicked off a full probe. Investigators are still figuring out if the gadgets were real explosives or just hoaxes using hobby fuses. Lang, who organized similar events before, got clemency from former President Trump last year for his role in the January 6th riot.

1:00This ugly clash highlights the risks-adheeded protests, and authorities promised a thorough look into what went down.