Journalist Don Lemon was apprehended on Thursday night in relation to a protest at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, as reported by his attorney.
Lemon was among numerous protesters opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement who entered Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, earlier this month, disrupting a church service and resulting in heated confrontations.
Court documents pertaining to his arrest were not immediately accessible. Lemon is anticipated to appear in federal court in Los Angeles on Friday. He was in Los Angeles to report on the Grammy Awards and was taken into custody after 11 PM local time in a hotel lobby in Beverly Hills while he was departing for an event.
"Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents last night in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy Awards," his attorney Abbe Lowell stated in a release early Friday. "Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done. The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to illuminate the truth and hold those in power accountable."
"Rather than investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is allocating its time, attention, and resources to this arrest, and that is the true indictment of wrongdoing in this case," Lowell continued. "This unprecedented assault on the First Amendment and transparent effort to divert attention from the numerous crises confronting this administration will not be tolerated. Don will contest these charges vigorously and comprehensively in court."
Lemon, a former CNN anchor, has asserted that he attended the demonstration as a journalist rather than as a protester. In a video of the incident that he shared on YouTube, Lemon states, "I’m just here photographing, I’m not part of the group… I’m a journalist."
On Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced further arrests alongside Lemon, which included Trahern Jeen Crew and Jamael Lydell Lundy, stating that these arrests were made "in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota."
Independent journalist Georgia Fort, who was documenting the protest, was also apprehended.
"This situation arises from the fact that I recorded a protest as a member of the media," Fort remarked during a Facebook Live session this morning prior to her surrender to the authorities.
"We are entitled to our constitutional right to film and to act as members of the press," Fort expressed. "I feel that my First Amendment rights as a member of the press are being violated, as federal agents are now at my door arresting me for filming the church protest that occurred a few weeks ago."
Previously attempted charges against Lemon
The Department of Justice initially sought to charge eight individuals, including Lemon, last week. However, a magistrate judge dismissed the charges against five of those individuals, including Lemon, citing a lack of sufficient evidence. Nevertheless, the judge encouraged prosecutors to present the case to a grand jury in pursuit of an indictment.
It is quite rare for the Justice Department to bring criminal charges against a journalist, although it has occurred in the past. Such cases undergo rigorous scrutiny before a decision to file charges is made, and they often encounter prolonged legal disputes regarding the protection of the reporter under the First Amendment before reaching trial.
Nonetheless, senior officials at the DOJ promptly and publicly stated that Lemon would be charged following the incident at the Minnesota church. They asserted that Lemon did not possess the right to be on the church's private property, and they added that disrupting a church service could have infringed upon the constitutional rights of churchgoers to practice their religion.
Press freedom advocates denounce the arrests
Press freedom organizations condemned the arrests on Friday.
"These arrests, based on false legal theories for clearly constitutionally protected reporting, serve as evident warning shots directed at other journalists," stated Seth Stern, the chief of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation. "The clear implication is that journalists need to proceed with caution, as the government is seeking any opportunity to target them."
Stern informed CNN, "The response to this outrageous assault should not be fear or self-censorship. Instead, it should be a renewed dedication to journalism, the truth, and the First Amendment. If the Trump administration believes it can intimidate journalists into compliance, it is mistaken."
Katherine Jacobsen, the US, Canada, and Caribbean Program Coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, remarked that Lemon's arrest "should raise alarm among all Americans."
"As an international organization, we recognize that the treatment of journalists reflects the state of a nation's democracy. The United States is faring poorly," Jacobsen noted.
Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the nonprofit advocacy group Public Citizen, described the action against Lemon as an "authoritarian breach" and a "serious infringement of the First Amendment."
"In America, reporters are entitled to view, document, and disseminate information to the public," Gilbert asserted. "This arrest constitutes a constitutional infringement, an outrage, an authoritarian breach, and is completely unacceptable."
