The smiling son of a millionaire advertising mogul has appeared in court charged with arson and criminal damage for allegedly setting fire to an Israeli flag during a pro-Palestine protest.
James Carlson, a father of two, was arrested at Columbia University on April 30 after police broke up a two-week encampment on campus.
The 40-year-old man is accused of burning another person’s Israeli flag during a protest on campus on April 20.
Carlson is not a student, staff member or faculty member at Columbia. He faces separate charges of third-degree trespassing in connection with that specific incident.
James Carlson, a father of two, was arrested at Columbia University on April 30 after police broke up a two-week encampment on campus.
The 40-year-old man is accused of burning another person’s Israeli flag during a protest on campus on April 20.
Carlson was arraigned in Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday following District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr.’s announcement that he would be charged.
Police use a vehicle dubbed “the bear” to enter Hamilton Hall from a public street, which was occupied by protesters, as other officers enter the Columbia University campus.
He has also been charged with damaging police property inside a holding cell after being arrested on April 30 following another protest.
Police allege he kicked and broke a glass panel in the holding cell.
Carlson was arraigned in Manhattan Supreme Court on Monday following District Attorney Alvin Bragg Jr.’s announcement that he would be charged.
He was all smiles in the courtroom and brought a sign reading “US Jews call for Gaza ceasefire now” to display before his case was heard.
District Attorney Bragg said: ‘This defendant’s alleged activity went beyond lawful and peaceful protest.
‘Committing arson during a mass protest endangers the safety of others and this type of behavior will not be tolerated.’
Prosecutors allege an anonymous protester snatched an Israeli flag from the hands of a Jewish man at the Columbia University protest on April 20.
Carlson was all smiles in the courtroom Monday as he was indicted by a grand jury.
The smiling son of a millionaire advertising mogul has appeared in court charged with arson and criminal damage for allegedly setting fire to an Israeli flag during a pro-Palestine protest.
He brought a sign reading ‘American Jews call for a ceasefire in Gaza now’ to display before his case was heard.
New York riot police released dramatic video showing the moment they stormed Columbia University’s occupied Hamilton Hall
Images and video showed extensive damage to Hamilton Hall after protesters were cleared out.
Before the alleged victim could retrieve the flag, Carlson grabbed it from the other protester and “began burning it with a lighter.”
“He was prevented from completely setting the flag on fire when the witness removed it,” the district attorney said in a news release.
Carlson, also known as Cody Carlson and Cody Tarlow, was described by officials at the time of his arrest as a “long-standing figure in the anarchist world.”
He is the son of Richard Tarlow and Sandy Carlson Tarlow, a millionaire advertising duo who founded Carlson & Partners together and were known for their cosmetics and fashion clients including Revlon, Victoria’s Secret, Ralph Lauren, and Neutrogena.
Richard died at the age of 81 in May 2022, while Sandy died in 2003 at the age of 53.
The 40-year-old is reportedly married to model Kim Heyrman and lives in a $3.4 million Brooklyn brownstone in New York.
James is the son of Richard Tarlow (pictured with Kristin Kehrberg in 2018) and Sandy Carlson Tarlow (who died in 2003), a millionaire advertising duo who founded Carlson & Partners together and were known for their cosmetics and fashion clients including Revlon, Victoria’s Secret, Ralph Lauren and Neutrogena.
Carlson was one of 40 protesters arrested on the first floor of Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall, after police stormed in to end the pro-Palestine encampment that had dominated the campus for nearly two weeks. Similar protests were taking place on nearby campuses (such as NYU, pictured) at the same time.
Carlson graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brooklyn Law School and later became an animal rights attorney and clerked in the U.S. District Court in 2013.
He also briefly worked as an undercover investigator at factory farms and slaughterhouses, recording cases of animal abuse, the publication said.
The 40-year-old actor is reportedly married to model Kim Heyrman and lives in a $3.4 million brownstone in Brooklyn, New York. The couple has two children.
Carlson was one of about 40 protesters arrested on the first floor of Columbia University’s Hamilton Hall after police stormed in to end a pro-Palestine encampment that had dominated the campus for nearly two weeks.
Photos and videos taken after the incident show the interior of the room trashed and littered with activists’ belongings.
Columbia University President Minouche Shafik called on New York police to “restore order and security” on campus amid growing protests, which also included a mass encampment on the school’s grounds.
Bragg’s office said: “We will continue to work closely with the NYPD and local universities to ensure the safety of students, staff and community members during any protests or demonstrations.”