Department of Justice Indicts 30 in Minnesota Church Riot

The Attorney General of the Department of Justice, Pam Bondi, announced on Friday the unsealing of an indictment that charges 30 additional individuals in connection with the riot that occurred on January 18 at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. This protest led to the suspension of services.

In a statement on X, Bondi emphasized the seriousness of the incident: “You cannot attack a house of worship. If you do, you cannot hide from us. We will find you, arrest you, and prosecute you,” she declared. She added that the DOJ stands with Christians and all Americans of faith.

Bondi mentioned that 25 of the individuals were apprehended by federal agents on Friday, with more arrests expected throughout the day.

With these new charges, the total number of individuals facing allegations related to conspiracy to infringe upon religious liberties has risen to 39. Notable figures among those indicted reportedly include left-leaning journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, along with activist Nekima Levy Armstrong.

The indictment claims that around 40 individuals took part in a “coordinated takeover-style attack” at the church, engaging in oppressive, intimidating, and sabotage-like behaviors. Additionally, many congregants fled the church fearing for their safety, and there were troubling reports of children worried about their parents’ well-being during the chaos.

Protesters, who were demonstrating against ICE, chanted slogans such as “Get rid of ICE” and “Justice for Renee Good,” explicitly targeting Rev. David Easterwood, who also acts as the local ICE office’s acting field director.

In the wake of the January 7 shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good by an ICE agent—an incident that has drawn scrutiny—video evidence shows the agent was struck by Good’s vehicle while he attempted to evade law enforcement. Just a week later, another controversial ICE-related shooting resulted in the death of a nurse named Alex Pretti.