By Ishita Srivastava For Dailymail.Com
21:40 04 May 2024, updated 21:47 04 May 2024
- James Carlson, 40, is the son of Richard and Sandy Tarlow, millionaire ad execs
- He is married to model Kim Heyrman and has two children
- James has been an activist for a more than a decade now across the country
The leader of the recent protests Columbia University has been revealed as the 40-year-old son of millionaire ad execs who lives in a four-story Brooklyn townhouse.
James Carlson, who also goes by Cody Carlson and Cody Tarlow, was arrested by the NYPD and charged with burglary and illegal entry after he stormed Columbia’s Hamilton Hall and re-named it ‘Hind’ Hall.
The accused, who is described as ‘a long-time figure in the anarchist world’ by officials, was also arrested for allegedly attacking a police officer during the violent G8 protests in San Francisco in 2005.
James is the son of Richard Tarlow and Sandy Carlson Tarlow, millionaire advertising duo who started Carlson & Partners together and were known for their cosmetic and fashion clients including Revlon, Victoria’s Secret, Ralph Lauren and Neutrogena.
The millionaire father was also a supporter of John Jay College and the John Jay Justice Awards that recognize people and organizations who demonstrate a commitment to justice.
Richard died at the age of 81 in May 2022 while Sandy died in 2003 at the age of 53.
According to the NY Daily News, James graduated Magna Cum Laude from Brooklyn Law School and later became an animal rights lawyer who clerked at the US District Court in 2013.
He also had a short stint as an undercover investigator on factory farms and slaughterhouses recording animal abuse, according to the publication.
James is believed to be married to model Kim Heyrman and has two children while living in a $3.4 million Brooklyn brownstone townhouse in New York.
The main house is a two-story property with four spacious bedrooms, four wood burning fireplaces with two on the parlor floor, according to Zillow.
The carriage house, on the other hand, has 18-foot-high ceilings with a loft area, skylights, electric heat for a kitchen and bathroom.
While in front of the main house, there is an expansive lawn and porch and between the main and carriage house is majestic garden area with a decked porch and mature trees, one with a wooden swing.
James is suspected of burning an Israeli flag during a demonstration two days ago and is believed to be ‘previously involved in recent bridge and tunnel blocking,’ according to NBC News.
Earlier this week, footage emerged of protesters smashed windows, upended furniture and caused damage throughout Hamilton Hall during the occupation before police stormed the campus and arrested more than 100 protesters Tuesday night.
Around 40 protesters were arrested on the first floor of the building after police swooped just after 9pm ending the pro-Palestine encampment that stretched on for nearly two weeks and included students taking over the hall.
Pictures and video taken of the aftermath show the hall’s trashed interior strewn with activists’ belongings.
Columbia’s President, Minouche Shafik, called on the NYPD to ‘restore order and safety’ to the campus amid the escalating protests, which also included a massive encampment on the school’s lawns.
The raid saw demonstrators arrested across the campus and at nearby City College New York, where similar protests unfolded.
Police stormed Hamilton Hall through an upstairs window after students used furniture to barricade the entrance.
Pictures show how chairs and desks have been turned upside down to become makeshift barriers. The cost of damage to the building is likely to total thousands of dollars.
The occupation followed weeks of unrest at Columbia, which began with the establishment of the encampment on April 17.
Protestors set up tents after Shafik was grilled before Congress about anti-Semitism on campus.
They repeatedly ignored calls to disband, with the demonstrations ramping up early Tuesday with the violent takeover of Hamilton Hall.
After two weeks of chaos, which saw classes moved online and facilities shuttered, Shafik finally called in the police who managed to clear out the campus in just two hours.
University administrators have now asked the police to maintain a presence until May 17, two days after graduation.