NEW YORK (1010 WINS) – A Brooklyn man was indicted for allegedly setting fire to a stolen Israeli flag during a protest at Columbia University last spring and then smashing a glass panel at NYPD headquarters after he was arrested for occupying Hamilton Hall, Manhattan prosecutors said Monday.
James Carlson, 40, pleaded not guilty to charges of criminal mischief and arson in connection with incidents on April 20 and April 30.
Carlson is not a student, staff or faculty member at Columbia, according to prosecutors, but he was allegedly active in the disorder that rocked the Ivy League university in April and May, when authorities said outside agitators infiltrated pro-Palestinian protests.
Carlson is reportedly the son of prominent ad execs who owns a $3.4 million brownstone and has a model wife.
An indictment alleges he was attending a crowded protest at Columbia on April 20 when another protester took a Jewish man's Israeli flag. Before the man could retrieve the flag, Carlson allegedly seized it and began burning it with a lighter.
The man managed to pull away the flag before it could be fully engulfed in flames, prosecutors said.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators support "Gaza Solidarity Encampment" at Columbia University by gathering outside the university on April 20, 2024.Selcuk Acar/Anadolu via Getty Images
Carlson's arrest came about 10 days later, when the NYPD cracked down on dozens of people occupying Hamilton Hall, at the request of university leaders.
As he was being processed at 1 Police Plaza in Lower Manhattan, he allegedly kicked and broke a glass panel in a holding cell.
Carlson is charged separately with trespassing in that case.
In a statement, Manhattan D.A. Alvin Bragg said he "went beyond legal and peaceful protest."
"Committing arson in a crowded protest endangers the safety of others, and this type of behavior will not be tolerated," Bragg said. "We will continue to work closely with the NYPD and local colleges and universities to ensure the safety of students, staff and community members during any protest or demonstration."
Columbia students started the fall semester last week, with a few arrests taking place on the first day of classes as protesters picketed outside the main entrance to the campus. Campus security was also searching for at least one person who splashed red paint on the Alma Mater sculpture.
In the weeks before classes began, the university's new leadership embarked on listening sessions aimed at cooling tensions, released a report on campus antisemitism and circulated new protest guidelines meant to limit disruption. But student organizers have promised to ramp up their actions — including possible encampments — until the university agrees to cut ties with companies linked to Israel.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
