Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal found himself in hot water after mistakenly attributing the blame to the wrong group of protesters for throwing suspected explosive devices during Saturday’s demonstrations outside Gracie Mansion.
In a statement on X, Hoylman-Sigal had initially accused “White Christian Nationalists” of spreading Islamophobia and antisemitism on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. He alleged they targeted the mayor with an incendiary device, sparking a social media backlash.
However, the statement was retracted once it came to light on Sunday that the individuals arrested in the incident were actually pro-Muslim demonstrators, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi. These men were part of a counter-protest against an anti-Muslim rally organized by right-wing figure Jake Lang. The case is now under joint investigation by federal authorities and the NYPD.
Despite the borough president’s retraction, a screenshot of his initial, incorrect statement circulated widely, prompting criticism. Former Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind, who is now a Republican and the founder of Americans Against Antisemitism, commented on the situation, lamenting the state of the Democratic Party. “It’s very sad. What’s happened to the Democrats? They’re blind to the point that facts don’t matter anymore,” he remarked.
But a source took a screenshot of Hoylman-Sigal’s erroneous knee-jerk statement.
“It’s very sad. What’s happened to the Democrats? They’re blind to the point that facts don’t matter anymore,” said former Brooklyn Assemblyman Dov Hikind, a Democrat turned Repubilcan and founder of Americans Against Antisemitism.
“The damage is done. They jumped to conclusions.”
Hoylman-Sigal said he revised his statement as he received more information.
“My comments evolved as I learned more. It was an evolving statement. I amended it,” Hoylman-Sigal said Sunday.
He defended his statement that Lang and “far right Christians” led a protest against Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor.
Still, the Manhattan borough president said authorities should “throw the book” at the alleged bomb throwers.
“I am not making any excuses for bomb throwers. People who hurled incendiary devices are just idiots,” Hoylman-Sigal said. “They are domestic terrorists.”
Other politicians put out one-sided statements condemning Islamophobia.
“Happy to know that our mayor and First Lady are safe, but horrified that there was such a disturbing threat of violence outside their residence,” said congressional candidate and former city Comptroller Brad Lander.
“Vile displays of Islamophobia will never be tolerated in our city.”
State Sen. Liz Krueger, who reps the Upper East Side neighborhood that includes Gracie Mansion, said, “New York is no place for anti-Muslim hate or any other kind of prejudice. We don’t need out-of-state provocateurs sowing fear, division, and violence in our city.”
Mamdani himself put out a statement Sunday condemning “white supremacist Jack Lang” for organizing a protest outside Gracie Mansion “rooted in bigotry and racism” that has “no place in New York City.
“What followed was even more disturbing,” he said. “Violence at a protest is never acceptable. The attempt to use an explosive device and hurt others is not only criminal, it is reprehensible and the antithesis of who we are.”
Critics slammed the mayor for failing to identify who was responsible for bringing bombs to a protest.
“This is insane… Mamdani calls out first, and by name, a `white supremacist’ for protesting,” said Geiger Capital on X.
“He then leaves out the 2 Muslim men, Emir Balat and Ibrahim Kayumi, who were arrested by NYPD after they yelled `Allahu Akbar!’ and threw a homemade bomb into the crowd
