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A hateful demonstration targeting Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York City’s Muslim community descended into chaos outside Gracie Mansion on Saturday afternoon, with fistfights, pepper spray, and a smoke-generating device prompting the NYPD to call in its bomb squad.
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The rally was organized by Jake Lang, a far-right online provocateur who was among the more than 1,500 people pardoned by President Trump for crimes related to the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. Lang and roughly ten supporters staged what they billed as a protest against what he called the “Islamification of New York City,” targeting Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor.Before marching toward Gracie Mansion, Lang held a “pig roast” at a nearby cafe — an intentional provocation aimed at practicing Muslims, who do not eat pork. He also brought a live goat to the event.
But the small group was vastly outnumbered. Approximately 75 counter-protesters mobilized after the online group General Strike NYC called on supporters to confront the demonstration. When Lang stepped out of a U-Haul van on 89th Street and York Avenue, his group was immediately met by an angry crowd.
The NYPD formed a barrier around Lang’s group as they moved south toward Gracie Mansion, but shoving, punching, and shouting broke out along the way. Officers eventually separated the two sides into pens near 87th Street and East End Avenue.
The situation escalated when a member of Lang’s group broke through police lines and began spraying pepper spray at counter-protesters, according to witnesses. Several people were incapacitated, and at least one bystander reported that children were nearby when the spray was deployed. The individual was initially moved back behind police lines, drawing outrage from the crowd, though police sources say he was later taken into custody.
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In the most alarming moment of the afternoon, an individual ran toward the crowd holding a device that was emitting smoke. Police tackled the person and took him into custody, and the surrounding area was evacuated while the bomb squad investigated. The NYPD said two devices were recovered at the scene, and authorities believe at least one was a smoke bomb. No explosion occurred and no injuries were reported.Lang and his supporters attempted to leave in the U-Haul, but counter-protesters surrounded the vehicle, punching it and using their bodies to block its path. Lang was ultimately escorted from the area by the NYPD’s Strategic Response Group.
Four people were arrested in connection with the incident, including on charges of deploying pepper spray, disorderly conduct, and throwing a suspicious device. Police said they are also reviewing surveillance footage to determine whether additional illegal activity occurred.
Saturday’s confrontation was the latest in a string of provocations by Lang, who has staged similar demonstrations in other cities in recent months. The protest also came one day after a separate clash at Washington Square Park between pro- and anti-Iranian regime demonstrators, where three people were arrested.
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