Independent journalist Don Lemon, a former CNN anchor and a frequent critic of President Donald Trump, has been charged with federal civil rights crimes in connection with his coverage of a protest that disrupted a Minnesota church service.
The charges stem from a Jan. 18 incident at Cities Church in St. Paul, where an Immigration and Customs Enforcement official serves as a pastor. Lemon followed a group of protesters into the church, where they chanted “ICE out” and he attempted to interview church leaders. Lemon has said he was not participating in the protest, only covering it as a journalist.
Federal agents arrested Lemon Thursday night, reportedly while covering the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Lemon’s attorney called the arrest an attack on the First Amendment, and press advocacy groups condemned the charges.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said the FBI also arrested three other people. Among them is Minnesota journalist Georgia Fort, who covered the protest alongside Lemon. An additional three people, including the protest’s organizer, were charged last week.
Lemon is charged with conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshipers, The Associated Press reports. A federal magistrate judge in Minnesota rejected charges against Lemon and the others last week, and the chief federal judge in Minnesota denied a Justice Department request to force the magistrate to issue a warrant against Lemon. It is not clear whether a judge authorized Lemon’s arrest on Thursday or whether prosecutors secured a grand jury indictment.
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Administration pursues protesters
Following the protests, Trump and Bondi said the administration would pursue and arrest the individuals who took part. Bondi called the protest a “coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.”
The White House posted photos of the earlier arrests, including a doctored image of one defendant that falsely showed her to be sobbing while in custody.
Lemon is a longtime antagonist of Trump, whom he has referred to as a liar. Trump called Lemon a “loser lightweight” after the church protest and shared social media posts calling for the journalist’s prosecution.
First Amendment argument
Lemon’s attorneys said they will fight any charges “thoroughly in court.” They have argued that Lemon had a First Amendment right to document the protest.
“Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism, which was report on it and talk to the people involved, including the pastor, members of the church and members of the organization,” Lemon said after the protest. “That’s it. That’s called journalism.”
Publications and press advocacy groups have echoed his attorneys’ concerns. The Minnesota Star Tribune condemned the arrest, saying that jailing journalists goes against American values.
“The First Amendment recognizes the press as holding a distinct and protected role in our democracy,” the newspaper said in a statement. “The Minnesota journalism community stands united in defense of press freedom and the essential role reporting plays in holding power to account.”
The Society of Professional Journalists also condemned the arrest of Lemon and the other Fort. The organization stated that these arrests send a troubling message to journalists.
“Detaining or arresting journalists who are documenting a demonstration involving powerful institutions and government officials sends a dangerous message: that scrutiny will be punished,” SPJ executive director Caroline Hendrie said. “These actions chill coverage, erode public trust in authorities charged with upholding the law, and deprive the public of firsthand, on-the-ground reporting that is essential to an informed democracy.”
