A controversy erupted online after a widely circulated news photo caption described a man holding a homemade explosive device during a protest in New York as an “activist,” despite authorities later determining the device was a functioning improvised explosive device (IED). The image, taken by AFP photojournalist Charly Triballeau and distributed through international media outlets, appeared in coverage by ABC News of a March 7, 2026 demonstration outside Gracie Mansion, the official residence of the New York City mayor. The caption accompanying the photo read: “An activist holds a homemade explosive device before throwing it towards police during a protest...