MN - Journalist Don Lemon arrested for church protest, Minneapolis, 18 Jan 2026

[Inthedetails]

As the daughter and granddaughter of newspaper publishers and editors, the issue seems to be that people don't actually know what a journalist is supposed to do.

If you (proverbial you) think its simply writing an article at a desk in your home or office, you're dead wrong. the cries of "but he was there!" "he asked pointed questions"..... yes and?

Thank you!

Crying out that a 30-year career journalist asked uncomfortable questions is flooring me. Next thing you know, a constuction worker will pound a nail.

We've lost media literacy, at least in large numbers, imo.

jmopinion

 

[303gmf]

CNN???

I had the same astonished reaction!!
Perhaps the poster could look up the meaning of liberal thought and bias instead of using the word as a pejorative to self inform

 

[Inthedetails]

Shout out to the WSers on the thread with journalism background/connections. Your experience-based participation is vital in the discussion, imo.

Thanks for being here.

My opinion.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

Lemon entered the church with the “first wave of agitators,” and allegedly “oppressed, threatened, and intimidated the Church’s congregants and pastors by physically occupying most of the main aisle and rows of chairs near the front of the Church, engaging in menacing and threatening behavior, chanting and yelling loudly at the pastor and congregants, and/or physically obstructing them as they attempted to exit and/or move about within the Church,” according to the indictment.

https://www.dailywire.com/news/don-lemon-helped-protestors-keep-church-plans-under-wraps-blocked-congregants-from-leaving-indictment

I'm sad to say, I don't trust a single word of an indictment by the administration, especially when we've SEEN the video ourselves. In no way, shape, or form did he prevent people from leaving or "engage in menacing and threatening behavior, chanting and yelling loudly at the pastor and congregants."

I believe my own eyes.

These charges will be thrown out of court so fast, the DOJ's head will spin. I await that wonderful day.

MOO.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

IMO It’s not journalism when there’s planning, coordination, and participation in an illegal church disruption. He was in lockstep with the protesters. These unsuspecting congregants were actively worshipping inside their church. IMO Don Lemon was an activists that day. He probably would have been fine if he reported from the street and interacted with congregants as they were leaving.

Do you have evidence that he knew what they were planning? Because the videos posted in this thread suggest he, himself, said he doesn't know. But also, it's not a journalist's job to alert police. He was not "in lockstep" (whatever that means in this context) with protestors. He was covering their protest. That most certainly IS journalism, which is why TWO separate judges, dismissed the arrest warrant. The government trying to intimidate journalists from doing their job is the biggest problem here.

MOO.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

I hear ya and I'm not supportive of interrupting a church service, but my feelings about that are tested since I learned the congregation is white nationalist. A pastor of a white nationalist church is part of ICE. I can't reconcile that, tbh.


A Baptist response:

How a church bearing the name of Jesus promotes the themes of resentment, nativism, nationalism, racism and militarism is a mystery. Baptists, of all people, long schooled in the principle of the First Amendment, now act as agents of the empire.

Interesting article. More at the link:

Cities Church isn't being persecuted for righteousness – Baptist News Global

MAGA churches are not being persecuted for righteousness but for not loving their neighbors, Rodney Kennedy says.

baptistnews.com

Imagine a Mosque promoting the equivalent on the Islam side. I doubt they'd have many supporters talking about disruption of religious services.

Granted, I don't think protestors belong in houses of worship, but the double-standard can't be ignored.. Don Lemon was not a protestor. He was covering the protestors, which he is fully allowed to do.

MOO.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

The most liberal of all networks told Don Lemon to take a hike and has tried to distance themselves from him..... That says alot Imo.

SBMFF. Are you aware of why they distanced themselves?

Maybe we could say he wasn't "woke" enough. Had nothing to do with his journalism. So I'm not sure what your statement about "the most liberal of all networks" applies here.

Don Lemon, CNN anchor, fired after 17 years on the network

Don Lemon drew criticism after saying US politician Nikki Haley, 51, was not "in her prime".

www.bbc.com

 

[CrimeDawg123]

Amnesty International statement
"The arrests today of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort for covering an anti-ICE protest are a blatant attempt to intimidate others from covering criticism of the administration and its policies. The arrests also follow repeated attempts by senior officials to label people who record ICE activities as domestic terrorists.

“Time and time again we are seeing the Trump administration clamping down on free speech rather than upholding human rights. Black and Brown journalists have been particularly targeted for exercising their rights to freedom of expression.

“Make no mistake, the U.S. government’s attempts to silence journalists are a critical threat to our human rights.”

https://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/u-s-authorities-must-immediately-release-journalists-don-lemon-and-georgia-fort/

 

[CrimeDawg123]

Oooooooh, it's THAT church. It's all making sense now how you can be both a preacher AND an ICE agent.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/07/politics/pastor-doug-wilson-christian-domination-trump

 

[Summerliz03]

I do have to wonder if Don Lemon wearing a tan suit at his court appearance and press conference is a subtle nod to when Obama wore a tan suit and republicans were very upset and said it was unpresidential.

Edit: sorry, wrong link attached at first

 

[CrimeDawg123]

I do have to wonder if Don Lemon wearing a tan suit at his court appearance and press conference is a subtle nod to when Obama wore a tan suit and republicans were very upset and said it was unpresidential.

Edit: sorry, wrong link attached at first

Yes, well-spoken black men in tan suits sure are threatening. We'll be much better off as a country when this generation having roots in Jim Crow are well and truly gone. Adios mofos.

 

[K9Enzo]

Do you have evidence that he knew what they were planning? Because the videos posted in this thread suggest he, himself, said he doesn't know. But also, it's not a journalist's job to alert police. He was not "in lockstep" (whatever that means in this context) with protestors. He was covering their protest. That most certainly IS journalism, which is why TWO separate judges, dismissed the arrest warrant. The government trying to intimidate journalists from doing their job is the biggest problem here.

MOO.

No, I’m not going to do the research for you.

 

[Summerliz03]

No, I’m not going to do the research for you.

I think unless there’s hard evidence of him planning and conspiring with the group of protestors, such as a signal chat that directly shows him being an active participant in setting up the protest details, I don’t believe he would be convicted of what he’s been charged with. Considering 2 judges saw all the evidence (that we aren’t privy to at this point) and refused to charge him, makes me believe that evidence doesn’t exist. I personally believe this case will be thrown out during discovery. All just MOO.

 

[CSIDreamer]

Oooooooh, it's THAT church. It's all making sense now how you can be both a preacher AND an ICE agent.

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/07/politics/pastor-doug-wilson-christian-domination-trump

It's paywalled for me. Can you snip enough to show the relationship between the 2 churches?

 

[K9Enzo]

I think unless there’s hard evidence of him planning and conspiring with the group of protestors, such as a signal chat that directly shows him being an active participant in setting up the protest details, I don’t believe he would be convicted of what he’s been charged with. Considering 2 judges saw all the evidence (that we aren’t privy to at this point) and refused to charge him, makes me believe that evidence doesn’t exist. I personally believe this case will be thrown out during discovery. All just MOO.

I predicted yesterday morning he would be home by supper. I also think it’s unlikely he will be convicted. Don has made a career also, in my opinion, of suing people. His attorney will be strong. However, I believe the initial no probable cause was prepared within 48 hours of the incident. They have since had days to pursue subpoenas and warrants. Don’s own unedited raw footage is pretty damming. IMO

 

[sunshineray]

IMO It’s not journalism when there’s planning, coordination, and participation in an illegal church disruption. He was in lockstep with the protesters. These unsuspecting congregants were actively worshipping inside their church. IMO Don Lemon was an activists that day. He probably would have been fine if he reported from the street and interacted with congregants as they were leaving.

The protesters sat through the service and didn't stand and protest until service was concluded.

 

[otto]

As the daughter and granddaughter of newspaper publishers and editors, the issue seems to be that people don't actually know what a journalist is supposed to do.

If you (proverbial you) think its simply writing an article at a desk in your home or office, you're dead wrong. the cries of "but he was there!" "he asked pointed questions"..... yes and?

Although I am certain that journalism has a different definition in the US, the Ethics Advisory Committee of The Canadian Association of Journalists formed this definition in December 2021. All three points are necessary before published content can be defined as journalism.

My personal belief is that the central purpose of journalism should be to inform. When a personal agenda is the driving force behind published material, objectivity is missing.

If Don Lemon's message was that the Church has a speaker who also works as a federal officer, did Don Lemon collect accurate and fair facts to inform the public? Did the protest inside the Church during a religious service objectively inform the public that a man who was not present is a federal officer?

Was the message that protesters are willing to violate the FACE Act in order to make a statement about the arrest of illegal immigrants? What was Don Lemon's journalistic message?

"This definition is meant to capture the diversity of journalism and recognize that journalistic work falls on a spectrum of simple to complex, brief to in-depth, neutral to advocacy oriented:​

1. central purpose is to inform and empower people,
2. fact-based with varying degrees of research, interviewing and observation, and
3. provide an accurate and fair description of facts, opinion and debate

Journalism is an activity that includes:​

1. the pursuit of truth for its audiences,
2. an act of creation and dissemination, and
3. a particular set of methods"

https://caj.ca/wp-content/uploads/caj_whatisjournalism_dec_2021.pdf

 

[Inthedetails]

My personal belief is that the central purpose of journalism should be to inform.

snipped

Welp, I've been informed that the chuch is a white nationalist congregation and a leader of that white nationalist congregation is also works with ICE. I'm informed now, thanks to this arrest. I find that important information to know.

I wasn't following the story of the chuch protest but am now, thanks to journalists covering the story.

jmopinion

 

[CrimeDawg123]

It's paywalled for me. Can you snip enough to show the relationship between the 2 churches?

Sure plenty of interesting unpaywalled sources, google Doug Wilson and Joe Rigney For example this one:

Let’s talk about how Cities Church treats women – Baptist News Global

To understand pastors of Cities Church, examine where they came from, how they view authority, submission, gender and punishment.

baptistnews.com

 

[otto]

snipped

Welp, I've been informed that the chuch is a white nationalist congregation and a leader of that white nationalist congregation is also works with ICE. I'm informed now, thanks to this arrest. I find that important information to know.

I wasn't following the story of the chuch protest but am now, thanks to journalists covering the story.

jmopinion

What is Don Lemon's journalistic message? Did it inform through accurate and fair facts, and was it based on research?

The message cannot be about members of the church because we still don't know anything about them. We do know that people protesting the arrest of illegal immigrants are willing to violate the FACE Act in a religious building during a religious service. That message was clear.

"This definition is meant to capture the diversity of journalism and recognize that journalistic work falls on a spectrum of simple to complex, brief to in-depth, neutral to advocacy oriented:

1. central purpose is to inform and empower people,
2. fact-based with varying degrees of research, interviewing and observation, and
3. provide an accurate and fair description of facts, opinion and debate

Journalism is an activity that includes:

1. the pursuit of truth for its audiences,
2. an act of creation and dissemination, and
3. a particular set of methods"

https://caj.ca/wp-content/uploads/caj_whatisjournalism_dec_2021.pdf