Don Lemon revealed that anti-ICE activists were present in Minneapolis and that he was aware of their intentions before they disrupted services at St. Paul’s Church on Sunday—even though he initially insisted he was simply reporting as a journalist.
In a snowy parking lot in the Twin Cities, Lemon shared that he had done some “reconnaissance” with activist groups ahead of the incident at City Church.
“They are participants in the resistance movement, and we are planning an operation to track them down. I can’t say exactly what they are doing, but it’s called Operation Suspension,” he mentioned during a livestream.
Lemon noted a local activist, Nekima Armstrong, as doing something significant in the wake of George Floyd’s death, aimed at shocking people and holding them accountable, though he didn’t specify her role further.
“That’s what we’re doing here. After this operation, you’ll see it live; these will be surprise operations, and again, I can’t disclose where they’re headed,” he continued.
He expressed some bewilderment about seeing anti-ICE protesters waving American flags, which he referred to as the “MAGA code.”
Shortly after capturing the scene, a large group of demonstrators entered the church, chanting “ICE out!” and taking over the morning service.
In the wake of criticism from Harmeet Dhillon, the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, who had warned him about being “on alert,” Lemon attempted to clarify his earlier statements, presenting a rather patronizing take on journalism.
“I had no connection with that organization. I didn’t realize they were going to this church until we tracked them down. We were merely documenting protests there,” he stated, a clear contradiction of his previous comments.
“Once the protests began at the church, we simply did our job as journalists. We reported it and spoke to those involved, including pastors and churchgoers. That’s all,” he concluded.
