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

[JennieM]

Don Lemon is doing that on his own.

He is doing being a journalist on his own?

 

[PrairieWind]

There was no defense argument in the grand jury.

That's not how grand juries work.

MOO

Was Don Lemon entitled to some other special grand jury process for celebrities? or journalists?

 

[branmuffin]

Would it be ok for a white male or group thereof, to walk into a mosque at the beginning of prayers, begin yelling and prevent the prayers, for the purpose of telling those in attendance that a member of their mosque was an employee of a government agency? And then refuse to leave until the prayer service was abandoned?

Apples and oranges and what is the date of the previous FACE Act case law?

 

[Magic8Ball]

No.

Did he leave when asked to leave?

No.

Not leaving after you've been asked to leave the premises is in fact refusing to leave.

If someone asks me to take a bite of spinach and I won't open my mouth, I am in fact refusing to eat the spinach.

I don't have to say, "No, I'm not going to eat this spinach."

When LE orders an armed criminal to drop their weapon, and the criminal continues to hang onto the gun, they are in fact refusing to drop their weapon. They don't have to say, "No, I will not drop my weapon" for LE to conclude they're not following lawful orders.

Non-compliance with a request is in fact refusing to follow it.

DL was asked to leave. He did not do so when asked.

Impeding. Interfering. Obstructing.

That's not journalism.

JMO.

 

[PrairieWind]

Then I guess the DOJ has a slam dunk case in your opinion. I don’t share that opinion. We can wait and see how the case plays out.

I didn't say that. I said the elements of the crime are met, the indictment will stand. Lets let a jury decide.

 

[JennieM]

Which he was a part of. did he disrupt the service? Yes. Did he help block the aisles just by being there and standing there? Yes. Did he refuse to leave when asked? Yes. He meets the elements of the act.

Post in thread 'MN - Journalist Don Lemon arrested for church protest, Minneapolis, 18 Jan 2026'
MN - Journalist Don Lemon arrested for church protest, Minneapolis, 18 Jan 2026

 

[PrairieWind]

Words I did not use, supporting or attack

I didn’t see any attacking
Yes I agree white nationalists and ICE should be outed and shamed

So an agent that works for ICE, who goes to work, does his/her job, should be outed and shamed? And you know that that means they will be attacked in public. That is ok with you? Or did you mean, those ICE agents that you think break the law should be outed and shamed? Because that isn't what you said.

 

[SouthAussie]

Did he leave when asked to leave?

No.

Not leaving after you've been asked to leave the premises is in fact refusing to leave.

If someone asks me to take a bite of spinach and I won't open my mouth, I am in fact refusing to eat the spinach.

I don't have to say, "No, I'm not going to eat this spinach."

When LE orders an armed criminal to drop their weapon, and the criminal continues to hang onto the gun, they are in fact refusing to drop their weapon. They don't have to say, "No, I will not drop my weapon" for LE to conclude they're not following lawful orders.

Non-compliance with a request is in fact refusing to follow it.

DL was asked to leave. He did not do so when asked.

Impeding. Interfering. Obstructing.

That's not journalism.

JMO.

As sillybilly said in an earlier post, someone (presumably a judge, and not us) is going to need to decide how long after being asked to leave you must leave. Reportedly, Don left the building within 7 minutes, and left the church property within 13 minutes.

He did leave. He did not stage a sit-in. He did not refuse to leave.

imo

 

[branmuffin]

Don Lemon is doing that on his own.

That's what a free-lancer is. Doing their reporting on their own.

 

[PrairieWind]

As sillybilly said in an earlier post, someone (presumably a judge, and not us) is going to need to decide how long after being asked to leave you must leave. Reportedly, Don left the building within 7 minutes, and left the church property within 13 minutes.

He did leave. He did not stage a sit-in. He did not refuse to leave.

imo

the correct answer is "immediately." The fact that DL stayed 2 minutes or 7 or 13 is evidence that he was part of the demonstration.
It doesn't matter if you are a journalist, if you are asked to leave private property, you leave. You have no right to remain after that moment.

 

[LAborn]

I'd like to give a shout out to our moderators and WS members who seem to have endless patience. Thank you, you're all better people than I!

 

[SouthAussie]

the correct answer is "immediately." The fact that DL stayed 2 minutes or 7 or 13 is evidence that he was part of the demonstration.
It doesn't matter if you are a journalist, if you are asked to leave private property, you leave. You have no right to remain after that moment.

Are you quoting a law, or is that your opinion? If it is MN law, could you please quote the exact description and link it here?

It might go towards any legal claim of trespass that might be made, but not towards the federal charges in the indictment.

imo

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

Credible journalists don’t go on recon missions with the group that is preparing to break the law by entering a Church to harass and intimidate the congregation. imo

Speaking on camera from a snowy parking lot in the Twin Cities, Lemon said he had done some “reconnaissance” with activist groups ahead of the storming of Cities Church.

Video proves Don Lemon was embedded with anti-ICE agitators before they stormed church — despite claiming ‘no affiliations’

Speaking on camera from a snowy parking lot in the Twin Cities, Lemon said he had done some “reconnaissance” with activist groups ahead of the storming of Cities Church.

nypost.com

I think Carl Bernstein, Bob Woodward, and Daniel Ellsberg would all disagree. I think it's up to each of us to determine what makes a credible journalist. There's a reason the press has more freedoms than the rest of us. MOO.

 

[CSIDreamer]

As sillybilly said in an earlier post, someone (presumably a judge, and not us) is going to need to decide how long after being asked to leave you must leave. Reportedly, Don left the building within 7 minutes, and left the church property within 13 minutes.

He did leave. He did not stage a sit-in. He did not refuse to leave.

imo

It seems to me you are trespassing when you are asked to leave. He actively, and knowingly (that's intent), trespassed for at least 13 minutes. JMO

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

Lemon was a professional journalist until 2023. Since then, he created a youtube channel where he publishes independent journalism.

In my opinion, the difference between a professional journalist and independent journalist is similar to other professions. When no longer employed in the profession, then professional ethics and standards are voluntary.

I completely disagree. Independent journalists can also be professional journalists. The word "professional" only describes whether or not they make a living at what they do. There have also been many "professional journalists" working for legitimate media outlets who have not adhered to professional ethics and standards.

That is not to suggest that Mr Lemon did not continue to adhere to professional journalism ethics and standards, only that he could no longer be held accountable to a governing body for violating those ethics and standards.

Of course he could. The courts and the public would hold him accountable. Defamation suits are born out of irresponsible journalism.

Would a professional journalist know that entering a church with a camera/ microphone (and a group of loud disruptive people) during a religious meeting could be interpreted as violating the FACT Act? Would a professional journalist take a chance and do it anyway?

Actually, yes. This isn't the first time a journalist has covered a crime and I have yet to see evidence that the act of covering the crime is breaking the law itself. I see what the government claims, but their supposition is based on the belief that he actually participated. From what's been linked in this thread (including a link I provided), professional journalism organizations, including the Society for Professional Journalists, have all backed him. I don't think they would have done that if what he did went against journalistic ethics and standards.

MOO.

SPJ strongly condemns arrests of journalists covering anti-ICE demonstration in Minnesota | Society of Professional Journalists

www.spj.org

 

[SouthAussie]

It seems to me you are trespassing when you are asked to leave. He actively, and knowingly (that's intent), trespassed for at least 13 minutes. JMO

I have asked OP for a quoted link. So they can show what MN law says. I don't think the time frame has been determined yet. Just speculated upon.

imo

 

[Rolypolyoly]

It came to a halt and DL was part of that. Does DL get to make that determination of when the service is ended?

No, he wasnt a part of that. He didn't disrupt the service.
Yes, I think it was a fair assumption by him that the service was over at the point the protestors halted it.

At one point, defendant LEMON posted himself at the main door of the Church, where he confronted some congregants and physically obstructed them as they tried to exit the Church building to challenge them with “facts” about immigration policy.

The man with the beard in the hat that was happily speaking with him at the door walked away perfectly fine and unobstructed by DL or anyone else once he decided he had enough of Lemons questioning.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

It is US legislation. I'll take the words at face value. If the words were meant to be ambiguous, wouldn't that exception be explained?

https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/senate-bill/636

But it's not about taking them at face value vs not. When you say it's illegal to intimidate parishoners, what do you consider intimidating? If I just show up to learn about Christianity and roll my eyes, would someone call that intimidating? Would I be arrested for that? If I show up and fall asleep, someone might consider that intimidating. If I show up holding a Quaran, would that be intimidating? Yes, it's part of US legislation, but the point of the court system is the interpret the law as it applies to the case. If it was black and white, there would be no such thing as appeals or a Supreme Court.

MOO.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

Regarding the FACE Act, Trump of course pardoned 23 people convicted under the law for interfering with access to abortion clinics.

https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/23/trump-pardons-abortion-clinic-protesters-00200292

The DOJ also said they would no longer prosecute any FACE Act violations except for severe cases.

https://www.npr.org/2025/03/09/g-s1-52616/abortion-face-act-access-enforcement

Instead, the Justice Department now says it will no longer enforce violations of the statute, except in extraordinary circumstances — such as cases involving death or serious property damage.

I haven't heard that there was any serious damage nor any deaths during this protest. As if consistency or integrity matters with this ridiculous, weaponized DOJ where prosecutions are for political purposes foremost. moo

Thank you for posting this. I hadn't heard about it. It's a perfect example of what happens when you politicize an issue like this rather than applying the law fairly to all. And that goes for all sides.

MOO.

 

[BeginnerSleuther]

No idea. My focus is Don Lemon.

And that's the problem, because if Don Lemon can prove that the law is not being applied fairly against everyone there, he has a better shot of proving this was personal retribution.

MOO.