Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested on Thursday during an anti-ICE protest that disrupted a church service in Minneapolis, according to his lawyer.
“Don was detained by federal agents in Los Angeles while he was covering the Grammy Awards,” said his attorney, Abby Rowell, in a statement to the media.
Rowell described the event as “an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment,” emphasizing the importance of allowing free expression, especially in light of the numerous issues currently impacting the administration. Interestingly, she also represents Hunter Biden, who has faced his own controversies.
“Don plans to vigorously contest these charges in court,” she added.
At 59, Lemon was part of a crowd of protesters who disrupted services at Cities Church on a Sunday. The specific nature of the charges he faces remains somewhat unclear, but it involves allegations of violating an 1871 enforcement law aimed at protecting civil rights, including the right to religious practice.
This legislation, sometimes referred to as the Ku Klux Klan Act, was initially created to thwart the violent actions of extremist groups.
Lemon even streamed the occurrence on an independent media platform, capturing footage of both protesters and church members.
He had reportedly attempted to dodge conspiracy allegations by claiming he was merely “doing journalism” during the incident, as mentioned by Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, Harmeet Dhillon, in a conversation with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson.
She pointed out that the Klan Act could be invoked anytime someone conspires to infringe upon the civil rights of American citizens.
However, videos posted by Lemon during and after the protest indicated that he was actively participating alongside the crowd under the pretense of documenting it as a reporter.
In footage prior to the church’s occupation, Lemon acknowledged engaging in “reconnaissance” work with activists from the Minnesota Black Lives Matter group, who were gathered nearby.
He mentioned, “They are planning an operation where we will go after them. I can’t disclose everything they’re doing, but it’s called Operation Suspension.” He added that viewers would witness the event “live” after the operation was carried out, noting these were unexpected actions without revealing specific details on what would unfold next.
