Ex-CNN star Don Lemon arrested on federal charge for Minnesota church protest

Don Lemon has said he was at the protest to observe it as a journalist conducting reporting

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested Thursday evening on federal charges related to his presence at an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church.

On January 18, Lemon entered a local church to report on a demonstration where protesters disrupted a church service to display opposition to one of the pastors who was working with a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office.

The Trump administration sought to bring charges against Lemon and seven other people over the protest, claiming their actions violated a law that protects people participating in a service in a house of worship. Lemon, 59, maintained that he was observing the protest as a journalist conducting reporting.

A federal magistrate judge and federal appeals court initially rejected the Justice Department’s attempts to charge Lemon. However, that appears to have changed with his Thursday arrest in Los Angeles.

An attorney for Lemon, Abbe Lowell, said in a statement that his client was taken into custody while covering the Grammy Awards.

“Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case,” Lowell said.

Don Lemon, who is working as an independent journalist, was arrested by federal agents for his alleged roll in a protest at a Minnesota church. Lemon has said he observed the church protest as a reporter (Invision/AP)

Lemon was charged with conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshipers. Lowell said he planned to fight the accusations.

“This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court,” Lowell said.

Lemon worked at CNN for 17 years before being pushed out in 2023. He has since become an independent journalist and posts his reports online.

Lowell is a high-profile attorney who has also represented several of President Donald Trump’s opponents, including Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The former CNN anchor live-streamed the church protest as part of his coverage of Minneapolis demonstrations. In the video, posted to YouTube, Lemon insisted he was “not part of the group.”

But Justice Department officials vowed to prosecute those who participated in the church protest for potentially infringing on churchgoers' right to practice religious freedom.

In a statement, Attorney General Pam Bondi said Lemon in addition to three other people were arrested, “in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.”

Another independent journalist, Georgia Fort, was also arrested Thursday evening, she said in a Facebook live video.

“I don’t feel like I have my First Amendment right as a member of the press,” Fort said in her video. “Because now federal agents are at my door arresting me for filming the church protest a few weeks ago.”

Lemon interviewed one of the pastors of the Cities Church in St Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday, January 18, as anti-ICE protesters disrupted its services (Don Lemon/YouTube)

It is unclear what the charges are against Fort as well.

At a press conference in Minneapolis on Friday, Fort’s family and friends including fellow journalists said the arrest of the Emmy award-wining journalist sets a “dangerous precedent” for press freedom, the rule of law and democracy.

“Journalism is under attack. The First Amendment is under attack, and democracy is crumbling,” warned Harry Colbert Jr, vice president of the center for Broadcast Journalism, who himself was arrested during protests following the killing of Daunte Wright in 2021.

He told The Independent that journalists have been arrested before, but usually by state police or local authorities.

“Our fear is that they might try to charge Georgia with a felony for doing her job, for going to cover an event. That is what we do.”

“I’m scared. Other journalists are scared. We are still going to do our job, but we recognize that we are under attack.”

Ms Fort’s 17-year-old daughter also spoke, on the verge of tears, saying her seven and eight year old sisters “woke up today without a mom”.

“I’m demanding that my mom gets released,” she said. “It is wrong. This goes against her First Amendment rights as a journalist, and those rights are being challenged today.”

Two other people, Trahern Jeen Crews, a former Democratic political candidate, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, a criminal justice reform advocate, were also arrested.