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

[keek]

Isn't that the case for all churches? I know it is for mine.

I don't approve of the interruption of worship service, but I would expect a church to welcome strangers.

jmopinion

 

[Sundog]

That's just nonsense. The independent journalists who were chronicling the events of January 6 at the Capitol were charged and sentenced to prison time, many negotiated a plea deal, some did time in prison. Also, other journalists around the country said nothing at the time. They remained silent.

So there is now precedence in law for these kinds of arrests. Maybe they should have spoken out a long time ago and not let their political biases play a role in their silence or outspokenness.

Report by journalist Julie Kelly who discusses the parallels between the Don Lemon indictment and how the justice system handled independent journalists who were chronicling the events of January 6 at the Capitol. Kelly explains that at least eight J6 defendants were prosecuted for their journalism work on that day.

 

[tlcya]

It is important to remember that Don Lemon is a long-time journalist. He has won 3 Emmys for his journalistic work. He had press credentials issued through CNN. He is a journalist. He has been one his whole life.
He is not a random YouTuber or podcaster who has never been an official journalist.

Don Lemon

Don Lemon is an American journalist and TV news anchor. He first gained recognition in 2006 when he joined CNN's newsroom. Lemon hosted 'CNN Tonight' from 2018 to 2021 and 'Don Lemon Tonight' since 2021. He has received numerous awards for his news coverage, including three regional Emmy Awards...

people.com

That is the distinction, in my opinion.
The problem is, it is not just the mainstream media out there anymore, and I don't know how we will determine who is officially a journalist from here on out.
It is very safe to say that Don Lemon is a journalist based on his past work and awards.
Does that mean he is still a journalist and therefore can claim he was covering a story as a journalist? IMO Yes. Since Lemon has been an actual award-winning accredited journalist in the past and continues to report on current events, it is safe to say (again imo) that he is a journalist.
Feel free to disagree with me.

You are so right IMO. What is a journalist? The definition is changing but where is the line, the distinction? The parallel of January 6th defendants has been drawn.
-------
The Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol in January created a trove of self-incriminating evidence, thoroughly documenting their actions and words in videos and social media posts. Now some of the camera-toting people in the crowd are claiming they were only there to record history as journalists, not to join a deadly insurrection.

It’s unlikely that any of the self-proclaimed journalists can mount a viable defense on the First Amendment’s free speech grounds, experts say. They face long odds if video captured them acting more like rioters than impartial observers. But as the internet has broadened and blurred the definition of a journalist, some appear intent on trying.
[snip]
She said it is an easy case to make that Capitol riot defendants were not journalists because reporters and photographers must have credentials to work there. She said any defendant captured on video encouraging rioters cannot credibly claim to be a journalist.

“You are, at that point, an activist with a cellphone, and there were a lot of activists with copyrighted videos who sold them to news organizations,” Dalglish said. “That doesn’t make them journalists.”
Some Jan. 6 defendants try to use journalism as riot defense

 

[keek]

Report by journalist Julie Kelly who discusses the parallels between the Don Lemon indictment and how the justice system handled independent journalists who were chronicling the events of January 6 at the Capitol. Kelly explains that at least eight J6 defendants were prosecuted for their journalism work on that day.

I saw that day, live, known journalists with crew and horrified. If the journalists in this video were not horrified, well then. IMO

 

[keek]

I wonder if the people disgusted with Don Lemon, well accredited and known journalist for decades, were AS disgusted by the Jan 6 people who were intent on violence, which we saw they did, massive spewing of 'disrespect' of Congress members and EVEN VP Pence!! I mean, the difference in the AMOUNT and behavior is NOT comparable.. What were their thoughts on that then? Thankfully a lot were arrested and found to have prior arrest records, NOT lovely people and then after eventual release after jail time. I mean, there is that difference of caliber for sure. IMO

 

[K9Enzo]

It is important to remember that Don Lemon is a long-time journalist. He has won 3 Emmys for his journalistic work. He had press credentials issued through CNN. He is a journalist. He has been one his whole life.
He is not a random YouTuber or podcaster who has never been an official journalist.

Don Lemon

Don Lemon is an American journalist and TV news anchor. He first gained recognition in 2006 when he joined CNN's newsroom. Lemon hosted 'CNN Tonight' from 2018 to 2021 and 'Don Lemon Tonight' since 2021. He has received numerous awards for his news coverage, including three regional Emmy Awards...

people.com

That is the distinction, in my opinion.
The problem is, it is not just the mainstream media out there anymore, and I don't know how we will determine who is officially a journalist from here on out.
It is very safe to say that Don Lemon is a journalist based on his past work and awards.
Does that mean he is still a journalist and therefore can claim he was covering a story as a journalist? IMO Yes. Since Lemon has been an actual award-winning accredited journalist in the past and continues to report on current events, it is safe to say (again imo) that he is a journalist.
Feel free to disagree with me.

Admittedly I am way out of my lane on this one. IMO only, where he's in hot water is it appears he went beyond documenting events as a detached journalist. Rather than remaining separate from the illegal protest, he moved within them as congregants were confronted, even confronting the pastor himself with contentious questions. He also appears, IMO, to have known they were going into this church beforehand. IMO

 

[shotgun09]

IMO, Don Lemon was wearing an Activist hat....over his Journalist hat that Sunday. He knowingly participated in an Activist Disruption of Religious Services. His super- duper "Secret Mission" is recorded. It's on the internet, and the internet is forever, they say. Feds surely have his own words to sink him. He knew exactly what he was doing, and it wasn't journalism, IMO.

 

[Inthedetails]

Admittedly I am way out of my lane on this one. IMO only, where he's in hot water is it appears he went beyond documenting events as a detached journalist. Rather than remaining separate from the illegal protest, he moved within them as congregants were confronted, even confronting the pastor himself with contentious questions. He also appears, IMO, to have known they were going into this church beforehand. IMO

FWIW, journalists confront with contentious questions. That's part of their job.

I never watched Don Lemon so I am not responding as a fan. I am not okay with worship services being disrupted so I'm not going to say this particular protest was okay. I'm sitting back to watch developments of the case.

But I'm not going to pounce on a journalist JUST because he asked tough questions when that is what journalists do.

jmopinon

 

[tlcya]

Admittedly I am way out of my lane on this one. IMO only, where he's in hot water is it appears he went beyond documenting events as a detached journalist. Rather than remaining separate from the illegal protest, he moved within them as congregants were confronted, even confronting the pastor himself with contentious questions. He also appears, IMO, to have known they were going into this church beforehand. IMO

If he was acting as one of the group as opposed to simply documenting, I can also see a problem with that. Similar to the J6 defendants who claimed to have been there as journalists but were shown by their own videos to have been active participants.

I am very interested in seeing any and all video taken at the church so I can attempt to judge for myself if DL was a journalist, asking journalistic questions of the congregants or antagonizing them as part of the group he claims to have been documenting.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

Who is Georgia Fort? Minnesota journalist arrested after covering anti-ICE church protest

Fort is a Midwest Emmy award-winning independent reporter.

https://www.startribune.com/who-is-georgia-fort-minnesota-journalist-arrested-after-covering-anti-ice-church-protest/601574077?utm_source=gift

 

[Sundog]

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7596766088742833463

Here is one video but I have seen more, seems that some of the earlier videos that I watched have been taken down. I wonder why . . .

 

[Summerliz03]

Hopefully this link works, I’ve never linked from TikTok before. Here’s is Don Lemon’s first TikTok that he posted from the church protest

TikTok - Make Your Day

If the link doesn’t work, I can try to imbed the video directly into my post.

 

[keek]

IMO, Don Lemon was wearing an Activist hat....over his Journalist hat that Sunday. He knowingly participated in an Activist Disruption of Religious Services. His super- duper "Secret Mission" is recorded. It's on the internet, and the internet is forever, they say. Feds surely have his own words to sink him. He knew exactly what he was doing, and it wasn't journalism, IMO.

You never saw him on FOX 'news', he's very much a moral person..as a person. He doesn't need to hide at all and he doesn't. One of many of the journalists, reporters in USA and around the world that somehow end up paying a bit of a price or their lives for speaking to the rest of the world and showing it as it happens. Honor, end of story. IMO

 

[witchway]

Hopefully this link works, I’ve never linked from TikTok before. Here’s is Don Lemon’s first TikTok that he posted from the church protest

TikTok - Make Your Day

If the link doesn’t work, I can try to imbed the video directly into my post.

This is pretty much what I saw from Don Lemon’s filming condensed.He was not in the church for some of the other stuff I think. So I did not see what they were all up to. So I can edit what I said in watching all of it to I watched ALL of Don Lemon’s live stream that day.

 

[K9Enzo]

FWIW, journalists confront with contentious questions. That's part of their job.

I never watched Don Lemon so I am not responding as a fan. I am not okay with worship services being disrupted so I'm not going to say this particular protest was okay. I'm sitting back to watch developments of the case.

But I'm not going to pounce on a journalist JUST because he asked tough questions when that is what journalists do.

jmopinon

I agree that journalist ask contentious questions, and that alone isn't the issue. He was doing so inside active worship service with the illegal protesters. Appearing to agree and move alongside the protesters, he participated himself and knew they were going into that church beforehand. That's my understanding and opinion.

 

[Sundog]

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7596781668535422263

Here is another video where it shows protesters following congregants as they were leaving the church parking lot and some who were walking along the sidewalk on their way home after this assault on their faith.

 

[CrimeDawg123]

Here we go

https://bsky.app/profile/jaketapper.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3mdo3nma4zc2x

 

[witchway]

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7596781668535422263

Here is another video where it shows protesters following congregants as they were leaving the church parking lot and some who were walking along the sidewalk on their way home after this assault on their faith.

Not Don Lemon, this is about Don Lemon.

 

[Sundog]

You never saw him on FOX 'news', he's very much a moral person..as a person. He doesn't need to hide at all and he doesn't. One of many of the journalists, reporters in USA and around the world that somehow end up paying a bit of a price or their lives for speaking to the rest of the world and showing it as it happens. Honor, end of story. IMO

Fired from CNN for his lack of honor.

 

[Inthedetails]

I agree that journalist ask contentious questions, and that alone isn't the issue. He was doing so inside active worship service with the illegal protesters. Appearing to agree and move alongside the protesters, he participated himself and knew they were going into that church beforehand. That's my understanding and opinion.

Well, that comes back to the core question I have - was he acting as a journalist or participant?

Lemon asking questions is to be expected - it's literally his profession for 30 years.

I'm waiting to see this play out, but journalists asking contentious questions is something I accept from the profession. That will unlikely play a factor in my opinion on the case.

jmo