Brooklyn lawyer faces arson and criminal mischief charges after being arrested in university building – Manhattan DA.
In the midst of protests surrounding the war in Gaza, Columbia University and other New York City colleges faced mass arrests this spring. Elected and law enforcement officials suggested that external agitators were fueling the unrest on the Ivy League campus. At Columbia, only a small percentage of those detained by the police had no ties to the university. However, one prominent outsider, James Carlson, a Brooklyn lawyer and activist, was indicted by the Manhattan district attorney on charges of arson and criminal mischief. He was accused of igniting an Israeli flag and breaking into a university building.
The district attorney, Alvin L. Bragg Jr., emphasized that such behavior would not be tolerated and that Mr. Carlson’s actions went beyond legal and peaceful protest. As protests erupted on campuses across the country, Mr. Carlson was among those arrested at Columbia for occupying Hamilton Hall on April 30. A review of police records revealed that a small number of individuals were not affiliated with the university.
Mr. Carlson could face up to four years in prison if convicted of the felony and misdemeanor charges related to the break-in and arson. He also faces separate charges of trespass for entering Hamilton Hall, which is restricted to students, staff, and invited guests. Among those arrested at Columbia, Mr. Carlson was one of the few with a history of legal issues stemming from protests, including a previous arrest at a G8 protest in San Francisco in 2005.
Despite being Jewish, Mr. Carlson, also known as Cody, has been involved in various causes such as Black Lives Matter, immigration policy, and animal rights, as seen on his social media posts. The charges against him highlight the tensions surrounding protests and activism on college campuses and the legal consequences that individuals may face for their actions.
Source: The NY Times
