Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were detained by New York City police on Saturday. Authorities said they attempted to ignite suspicious homemade devices during a “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” rally led by Jake Lang, a 30-year-old far-right conservative influencer.
Two Bucks County teens were arrested March 7 after a clash between an anti-Islam group and counterprotesters and an homemade explosive device was detonated outside the New York City mayor’s house.
Emir Balat, 18, and Ibrahim Kayumi, 19, were detained by New York City police on Saturday. Authorities said they attempted to ignite suspicious homemade devices during a “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” rally led by Jake Lang, a 30-year-old far-right conservative influencer.
The event drew a large crowd of counterprotesters, and onnews demonstrator threw an ignited device toward Lang’s area, police said.
Balat is a student in Neshaminy School District, and the district put out a statement Wednesday night. Kayumi is described as having “ties” to Newtown Township, according to NBC10.
“Please know that the safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our top priority. The school district administration has been in communication with local law-enforcement and will continue to work closely with them as we routinely do, to remain informed and support our school community,” the letter from Neshaminy Superintendent Jason Bowman wrote.
“At this time, there is no information indicating any concerns related to our schools. Our regular safety and security practices remain in place in our schools will continue to operate as a normal.”
Middletown Police confirmed the “FBI, along with specialized federal teams, is conducting a court-authorized search warrant as part of a federal investigation related to an incident that occurred yesterday in New York City.”
“There is no known threat to the public at this time, and this activity is not related to immigration enforcement,” the alert read.
Police said there were no injuries or property damage reported in the incident.
Why were counterprotesters arrested in NYC at Gracie Mansion?
New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said that Balat had lit and released an improvised explosive device, NBC10 reported, before attempting to grab a second device from Kayumi.
Tisch said at a press conference Saturday that Balat lit the device approximaely 20 minutes after a protester from an anti-Islam group associated with far-right influencer Jake Lang used pepper spray on counterprotesters.
The first device hit a barrier and was extinguished, Tisch said. Balat was then apprehended before he could throw the second device.
Tisch said Sunday afternoon that a preliminary analysis by members of the NYPD bomb squad found that the device Balat had ignited was an IED, and not a smoke bomb or fake explosive.
The two remained in custody on Sunday afternoon, Tisch wrote on social media.
Charges against the two counterprotesters were still pending, according to police. Tisch said police were working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the FBI on the case.
What happened during the protests outside Gracie Mansion?
New York City police officers were already at the scene at approximately 11 a.m. local time for the scheduled demonstration near Gracie Mansion, the mayor’s official residence. The “Stop the Islamic Takeover of New York City” rally drew approximately 20 people to the area, according to Tisch.
The event prompted a larger counterdemonstration, dubbed “Run the Nazis out of New York City,” and drew roughly 125 people, Tisch said. Police separated the two groups, but tensions began to escalate shortly before noon.
At approximately 12:15 p.m. local time, police arrested a person in Lang’s area who was accused of using pepper spray against counterprotesters, Tisch said. The person has not been publicly identified by police.
Who is Jake Lang?
Lang, along with nearly 1,600 others who were charged for their roles in the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot, was pardoned by U.S. President Donald Trump after he returned to the White House last year.
Federal prosecutors accused Lang of assaulting police at the Capitol using an aluminum baseball bat and a riot shield. Lang recently announced that he is running in the Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat in Florida.
Emir Balat’s house raided Sunday evening
The FBI raided Emir Balat’s home in the 200 block of Tina Drive in the Durham Meadows neighborhood at Durham and Frosty Holly Road on Sunday evening, several neighbors who were eyewitnesses said. One of them, a woman, said she knows Balat and his family.
“They’re a warm, wonderful family,” the neighbor said, but declined to give her name.
Another neighbor said: “You think you know people and then this.”
Tina Drive first stirred with strange activity just after midnight Sunday when a dark car moved down the street.
A woman who knows the family said she was walking her dog and saw the car.“It wasn’t familiar to the neighborhood,” she said.
By daylight, three more unfamiliar cars cruised the block.
About 6:15 p.m. Sunday, a half-dozen Middletown police cars arrived and blocked the entrance to Durham Meadows. A large camo green military SWAT vehicle arrived.
Its siren emitted an ear-piercing staccato warning and a man’s voice boomed: “Occupants of (the house). This is the FBI. We have a warrant. All occupants come out the front door … and nothing in your hands.”
Three people emerged, two men and a woman. “They had their hands up,” the neighbor said.
By 8 p.m. a half dozen neighbors stood at the intersection of Durham and Frosty Hollow roads. The suspect’s house, still filled with agents, was visible from the highway. Its interior lights blazed in every window on both floors.
The suspect’s family moved to Durham Meadows about 10 years ago, one neighbor said. They include Emir Balat, a younger sister and their parents. The family are friendly and are seen regularly taking walks through the neighborhood.
“They are normal, suburban people,” said another neighbor.
“I just don’t get it,” said one of the neighbors, who also would not give her name. She said Emir Balat was always a good kid.
“He would knock on my door and ask if he could shovel my snow,” she said.
