DOJ Charges Don Lemon Following Minnesota Protest Incident
The Department of Justice has filed charges against former CNN host Don Lemon, alleging federal civil rights violations related to a protest that took place at a church in Minnesota.
Lemon was arrested on Thursday, facing accusations of “conspiring to interfere with the First Amendment rights of worshipers” during the January 18 demonstration at Cities Church located in St. Paul. Reports indicate that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had a connection to the church. Alongside Lemon, another journalist and two protesters were also taken into custody.
CNN’s Jake Tapper shared a post on social media, featuring a photo titled “Department of Justice Prosecution vs. Don Lemon.” He noted that the indictment against Lemon and others was recently unsealed, spanning 12 pages.
Aside from Lemon, several individuals including Nekima Valdez Levy-Armstrong, Chauntil Louisa Allen, William Scott Kelly, Jamael Rydell Lundy, Traherne Jean Cruz, Georgia Ellis Fort, and two others face charges regarding their involvement in the protest, as shown in a photo of the indictment that Tapper shared.
The charges allege conspiracy to violate religious freedoms and to “impair, intimidate, and obstruct the exercise of the right to religious freedom in places of worship.” It’s a serious claim, reflecting ongoing concerns about the intersection of activism and religious rights.
Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the actions taken, stating that federal agents arrested Lemon and the others in relation to what she described as a coordinated attack on Cities Church.
In a news report, it was mentioned that Lemon’s attorney, Abby Rowell, claimed he was detained by federal agents in Los Angeles while he was covering the Grammy Awards. She emphasized Lemon’s long-standing career as a journalist and insisted that his actions in Minneapolis aligned with his usual responsibilities. “The First Amendment is meant to protect journalists in their pursuit of truth,” she argued.
Lemon, in a live YouTube broadcast, described the scene of protesters entering the Cities Church during a service. He clarified that he was not part of the protest but instead there as a journalist, capturing what unfolded. He also mentioned that the protesters discovered a pastor’s affiliation with ICE, pointing to a complicated backdrop of the event.
