Protest Turns Violent Near Gracie Mansion, Devices Investigated

0:00Hey, it's Cory with Durham News today, your city, your news every day. A clash broke out Saturday near Gracie Mansion in New York City during a protest called Stop the Islamic Takeover. Counter-protesters were demonstrating against the event when someone from the main group sprayed pepper spray at them. One counter-protester then lit a small device packed with nuts, bolts, and screws, and threw it toward the crowd. Police Commissioner Jessica Tish described how the device hit a barrier and went out just a few feet from officers. The thrower grabbed the second device from someone else but dropped it while running away. The items were wrapped in black tape with a hobby fuse about the size of a football, but smaller. No one got hurt in the incident, and Tish said Mayor Zoran Mamdani was not at the residence. Officers arrested all three people involved right away. The Mayor's safety was never at risk. The main protest was linked to conservative influencer Jake Lang, who organized similar events. Lang faced charges from the January 6th riot, including assaulting an officer, but got clemency from President Trump last year.

1:05He's now running for U.S. Senate in Florida. Police are still investigating whether the devices were real explosives or just hoaxes. Tish held a news conference to update on the case, stressing quick action kept things from escalating. The Daily News Now is made possible with support from our sponsor. Headphones in a pillow, simple idea, surprisingly addictive, S-O-L-L-I, solely pillow.com.