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

[Deleted member 117884]

Here is the indictment

Just to point out, there is more than only Don Lemon included in this indictment.

jmopinion

 

[keek]

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.

Assault of their faith? Makes one wonder exactly what WAS preached in this church group if the pastor was an ICE person, an 'in charge' of a dept. type of ICE person. I wonder how long he was, new or the original before the kind it is now. That would be telling. IMO

 

[Sundog]

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 Lemon's edited version, imo

 

[Deleted member 117884]

Assault of their faith? Makes one wonder exactly what WAS preached in this church group if the pastor was an ICE person, an 'in charge' of a dept. type of ICE person. I wonder how long he was, new or the original before the kind it is now. That would be telling. IMO

I'm considering the congregation a "victim" in this case, to be frank (in the WS definition at least).

jmopinion

 

[Summerliz03]

well I can say I don't care for the video taking tik toker much, he was quite rude and obnoxious to church attenders "with your jewelry and your coffee". Uggh. I assume he was a group member and not a journalist right?

Yes, that video is from one of the protestors, he’s not a journalist. He has already been arrested last week I believe for his role in the protests. His name is William Kelly and he’s been a very prominent and outspoken protester in Minneapolis.

Anti-ICE Protester Know as 'DaWokeFarmer' Arrested Over Minnesota Church Invasion Protest - Tennessee Star

An anti-deportation protester who dared Attorney General Pam Bondi to arrest him for crashing a Sunday church in Minnesota is now in custody, Bondi said Thursday.

tennesseestar.com

 

[Summerliz03]

This is Lemon's edited version, imo

I made no comment about the video. I was told I could link direct official TikTok accounts so that’s what I did.

 

[Sundog]

Assault of their faith? Makes one wonder exactly what WAS preached in this church group if the pastor was an ICE person, an 'in charge' of a dept. type of ICE person. I wonder how long he was, new or the original before the kind it is now. That would be telling. IMO

Many pastors have other jobs, they don't all expect to be supported by their congregation. God bless him for his willingness to serve his country and his church.

<modsnip>

 

[Sundog]

well I can say I don't care for the video taking tik toker much, he was quite rude and obnoxious to church attenders "with your jewelry and your coffee". Uggh. I assume he was a group member and not a journalist right?

I assume that as well, I don't know who he is. I can't watch anymore of these videos as they are heartbreaking, especially watching the evil confrontation of the pastor and the young congregants who try to engage the protesters with their kindness. It just brings tears to my eyes.

 

[SouthAussie]

Precedent was set with the arrest of independent journalists who were chronicling the events of January 6th at the Capitol. I think it was about 8 independent journalists who were arrested and charged and some sent to prison and some negotiated a plea deal, IIRC. Also, no journalists defended their right to chronicle the events and practice journalism during these events. So it seems that these journalism associations have a clear double standard for when they speak out against this and when they don't. I don't think any of us are surprised, sadly.

The real journalists at the J6 insurrection were attacked and/or had their equipment broken and stolen.


Eg:
Nearly 20 journalists were assaulted — dragged over a wall, punched in the face or had a camera stolen. Tens of thousands of dollars in news equipment was also destroyed in the riot.

Of the six people who were charged with assaulting journalists, most were for the mob assault of Associated Press photojournalist John Minchillo, who was pushed, punched, dragged through the crowd and thrown over a wall.

New York Times photographer Erin Schaff was inside the Capitol when a crowd attacked her.

One of the men charged in the assault of photographer Minchillo was also charged in the assault of documentary journalist Nick Quested.

Most large-scale harm of news equipment occurred when rioters attacked a media staging area. A Reuters cameraman was filming as rioters ripped apart the staging area, breaking news equipment, piling it up and attempting to set fire to it.

Three years on, little justice for press assaulted on Jan. 6

Three years after the failed attempt to halt the democratic process of counting electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021, the Department of Justice has charged more than 1,100 people with criminal activity that day. Yet it has charged only a few of those who committed assaults on journalists, attacked as...

pressfreedomtracker.us

 

[Jade]

With the Pastor the lead of Field Office of ICE I'm extremely surprised, under the circumstances, he didn't do more to protect his flock from the potential for disruptive demonstrations.

Distancing himself publically from the Church or making sure that personnel were at the doors protecting the entry since their Pastor is in the hot seat with his job so to speak.

During the Civil Rights era Churches were bombed for speaking out so we know or we should know from history and the present synagogue attacks that they are targets.

My friend attends a Church where theres a designated seat for an armed person that is ready to react and remove right away any with unwelcome actions or language directed at congregants. It would have never gotten to that point with forethought of the Pastor's job and the publicity surrounding it.

all imo

 

[CrimeDawg123]

https://bsky.app/profile/phillewis.bsky.social%2Fpost%2F3mdoaqplm2s2q

 

[SouthAussie]

Many pastors have other jobs, they don't all expect to be supported by their congregation. God bless him for his willingness to serve his country and his church.

Faith. Family. Country.

This National Catholic Reporter article explains how the injustice is what is happening to the people harmed by ICE, not the disruption to a church service.

Disruption at a church is not the scandal. Injustice is.

"The question before us is not whether protest belongs in church, but whether the church still belongs to the Gospel it proclaims," writes Kat Armas.

www.ncronline.org

 

[keek]

Many pastors have other jobs, they don't all expect to be supported by their congregation. God bless him for his willingness to serve his country and his church.

Faith. Family. Country.

 

[keek]

This National Catholic Reporter article explains how the injustice is what is happening to the people harmed by ICE, not the disruption to a church service.

Disruption at a church is not the scandal. Injustice is.

"The question before us is not whether protest belongs in church, but whether the church still belongs to the Gospel it proclaims," writes Kat Armas.

www.ncronline.org

Exactly, any good human being, an organized religion belonger, or not knows what is the important thing here on GOD'S GREEN EARTH', right??? IMO

 

[Sundog]

With the Pastor the lead of Field Office of ICE I'm extremely surprised, under the circumstances, he didn't do more to protect his flock from the potential for disruptive demonstrations.

Distancing himself publically from the Church or making sure that personnel were at the doors protecting the entry since their Pastor is in the hot seat with his job so to speak.

During the Civil Rights era Churches were bombed for speaking out so we know or we should know from history and the present synagogue attacks that they are targets.

My friend attends a Church where theres a designated seat for an armed person that is ready to react and remove right away any with unwelcome actions or language directed at congregants. It would have never gotten to that point with forethought of the Pastor's job and the publicity surrounding it.

all imo

I think a lot of our churches will be considering these kinds of safety measures after this unconscionable assault.

 

[SouthAussie]

I think a lot of our churches will be considering these kinds of safety measures after this unconscionable assault.

They might want to consider the "other job" that their pastors have. If it aligns with biblical teachings. If not, they are probably not a good fit for a religious organisation.

imo

 

[JennieM]

23 min ago

More than two dozen agents involved in Lemon arrest, source says​

From CNN's Josh Campbell

The arrest of journalist Don Lemon in the Los Angeles area involved more than two dozen federal agents, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the operation.

Lemon was arrested by a team of agents from Homeland Security Investigations and the FBI, the source said, with HSI leading the investigation.

The large arrest team assembled by HSI included agents who made direct contact with Lemon, as well as others stationed in and around the Beverly Hills Hotel, where the arrest took place, who were on standby for any necessary traffic or crowd control issues, the source said.

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minnesota-ice-minneapolis-protests-01-30-26

 

[303gmf]

I can't read the slur you gave the church pastor, who is a victim in this case, along with his congregants.

A slur? Truthbomb
IMO
Why is one held to a different standard just because of their job or title?

 

[Sundog]

They might want to consider the "other job" that their pastors have. If it aligns with biblical teachings. If not, they are probably not a good fit for a religious organisation.

imo

There is nothing wrong with having a job as a federal immigration officer and it is in no way a bad fit for a pastor.

 

[Jade]

I think a lot of our churches will be considering these kinds of safety measures after this unconscionable assault.

Most have. It's nothing new happens frequently and is a top topic for Pastral Conferences.

That's why it's so strange to me that real and present danger wasn't recognized by the Field Leader of ICE and Pastor.

Maybe he's one of the new hires that weren't adequately trained.

All imo