Anarchist student at the centre of St Paul's protest is the son of a property tycoon



Philosophy student insists: 'I’m an anarchist and don’t believe in leadership'

Also took part in the Dale Farm travellers' site protest

His grandmother wrote Children Of The Great Country Houses, which explores the lives of children brought up in a privileged world



An activist at the centre of the Occupy London protest camp is the son of a rich property developer, it has emerged.

Jack Hartcup, who is studying a philosophy degree, has played a major part in the demonstrations against capitalism outside St Paul's Cathedral and at the Dale Farm illegal travellers' site.



But until three years ago, the 21-year-old student was living in one of his father's £1.5millon apartments in North London.



Anti-capitalism protester Jack Hartcup is the son of a property developer whose business owns the £10m Eclipse building in North London. Until just a few years ago, the student lived in one of the £1.5m apartments there

He has insisted he does not share his 54-year-old father's ideals.

‘I’m an anarchist and I don’t believe in leadership,' he said.



‘I’m not set to inherit this fortune. I don’t believe in property.

‘My father has done very well for himself but I don’t intend to do what he does. He has gone along with the capitalist system.’

The Anglia Ruskin student, who hopes to become a philosophy teacher, has been a striking figure at the protests, wearing a leather jacket emblazoned with the words 'hate hate' emblazoned across his back.

Different ideals: The student, pictured with a friend, insists he doesn't want to be like his father. He said: 'My father has done very well for himself but I don't intend to do what he does. He has gone along with the capitalist system.'

His Facebook page is crammed with posters and videos encouraging others to protest.

He also boasts about being caught graffiting and having his jacket and trainers confiscated by the police.

In a post on the social networking site he says: ‘I had them repremanded (sic) off me when I was caught spraypainting a wall. both the leather jacket and dms had the same colour paint on them so they took them for evidence’.

Last night he said: 'I’ve been at Dale Farm and I’ve been here, but I’m not the centre of anything.

'I want to see real change in this country at an economic level. I don’t want to see us destroy the planet.



'It’s not something you can do by voting every four years. People are so tied down with jobs and other commitments, they can’t protest.'

His 54-year-old father, James, is the director of Eclipse Building Ltd, which owns the Eclipse building – a £10million development in North London.

Row: Occupy London protesters outside St Paul's Cathedral last night. Their demonstrations have forced the closure of the iconic landmark

Sham? The protests at St Paul's have been accused of being a 'big charade' with only one in ten tents occupied overnight, suggesting that the majority of the 300 'defiant' protesters return home after dark to sleep in warm beds

Violence: Protesters and police clash at the Dale Farm traveller site, where Mr Hartcup also said he demonstrated

Until 2008, Jack Hartcup was registered as living with his father in one of the 14 luxury flats, which sell for more than £1.5million and cost up to £1,500 per week to rent.

His grandmother, Adeline Hartcup, wrote Children Of The Great Country Houses; the book was published by the National Trust and explores the lives of children brought up in a privileged world.



Mr Hartcup's father confirmed he was aware of his son’s involvement with the Occupy London movement - which challenges the very nature of his own business - but refused to comment further.

It comes as the protests at St Paul's - which have forced the cathedral to close - were accused of being a 'big charade’ with only one in ten tents occupied overnight.

Footage from a thermal imaging camera shot by a police helicopter revealed that the ramshackle camp is almost completely empty during the cold nights.

It suggests the majority of the 300 ‘defiant’ protesters at the cathedral return home or to hotels after dark to sleep in warm beds.

The faces of the St Paul's protesters

Smart: Media student Kasimir Millennas, 21, has just arrived at the St Paul's protest site while 'Flo', aged 35, has been at the demonstration since it began

Continental: Andy Bachmaier, left, aged 20 and Thomas Jah, aged 19, are both from Bordeaux, France and work as waiters in the evenings. They have been have been living at the protest for five days

V for victory: Zak Smith, 18, unemployed, with friend Jordan Claire, also 18. They have both been there since the start

Committed: Al, 40, a self-employed businessman and carpenter has been at the protest site for six days







