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

[Barbb]

Did people storm into a place of worship? Like storming into a synagogue or a mosque to disrupt a religious meeting?

Shouldn't journalists take the stance that storming a religious building during a religious meeting is going to cause fear and safety concerns? Would Don Lemon film the storming of a synagogue during a religious meeting?

If this is true seems he might be in trouble.

Don Lemon Helped Protestors Keep Church Plans Under Wraps, Blocked Congregants From Leaving:

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

 

[Inthedetails]

Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly called the arrest of Don Lemon “outrageous” and “un-American,” adding he believes the Trump administration is trying to send a message to those who may not view or cover his presidency in favorable terms.

“This is not just about Don Lemon. This is about you and every other journalist in this country,” Kelly told CNN’s Erin Burnett. “If you cross the president, he’s gonna come after you. And we’ve never seen anything like this in our 250 years.”

https://edition.cnn.com/us/live-news/minnesota-ice-minneapolis-protests-01-30-26?post-id=cml10b2sc00003b6pk1kkdlo5&t=1769831731672

 

[Emerald1328]

<snipped for focus>

It was not nonsense.

I suggest you watch the videos of the protesters and Lemon storming the church sanctuary and the screaming and yelling in the faces of the pastor, women and children sitting in their pews and praying, reading the bible, and children crying, frightened and fearful congregants. It was absolutely shocking to see and contemplate.

This sounds shockingly familiar. I feel like I’ve been seeing the same kind of thing on my tv for months now.

 

[marloweclover]

Two legal questions on this one, imo.

1) Was Lemon a journalist or a protester? The rights and responsibilities are different. I have yet to see a video where he engages in protest activities. I did not see him walk in formation, raise his hands, chant, etc. On the journalism side, he recorded an intro, asked interview questions, and released his footage to the public. If additional information comes out, my opinion could change.

2) The FACE act as cited repeatedly above requires "by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction." Does Lemon engage in any of those things? Again, I have not seen video of him interacting with anyone forcibly, threatening anyone, or obstructing anyone. If that evidence is shown, my opinion could change.

 

[Sundog]

Has anyone seen his mugshot yet? Maybe it will be made public tomorrow, since he was just arraigned in court today.

 

[HmmMysterious]

Imagine arresting a journalist for...being a journalist. I hope the pastor who got exposed as an ICE informant gets the massive karma that he deserves soon in the form of decreased church attendance.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

 

[ab01]

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. Dude was out there trying to be in a situation that calls attention to himself. Number one rule of journalism don't interject yourself into the story. Like him or hate him he was trying to be a part of the story. He has strong beliefs and he let it lead him into the story, that takes him from the realm of journalism to being an activist. Listen to his words, he explains it clearly imo. Being a federal agent that's also pastor is nothing to be ashamed of in this country and just bc some don't agree with their occupation doesn't make them any less a man of god. It's sad that the separation of church and state in this country only works one way in the eyes of those who disagree. Religious freedom is absolute in this country as it should be and how dare people interfere with that, regardless of ones own beliefs! I'm disgusted! The church of God is a sacred place regardless of politics!!! I'm honestly not sure how we got to this point but, I do know people need more religion in their lives and less politics! MOO

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Georgia Fort

https://www.tiktok.com/video/7601196165618584846

 

[K9Enzo]

You believe they may have been prevented from leaving based on what? Please cite a source for such a serious accusation.

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

 

[sunshineray]

“Today the way that I was treated for simply doing my job, the way that I have been criminalized and dehumanized, it makes me really, really wonder if our Constitution is something of the past and if it’s just a thing made up of empty promises,” Fort said.

Hmm I wonder if ICE agents (the majority who haven’t shot anyone) might feel the same way?

Also, her constitutional rights rights end where someone else’s start. The church service is also constitutionally protected.

ICE agents have caused many violent confrontations. Like that one ICE said, "You raise your voice, I erase your voice".

 

[K9Enzo]

Is that the literal job of a journalist? When they cover a fire, they don't just get sweeping video and leave. They pull out the mic and stick the camera in the face of those impacted. They show up at all kinds of places and do that, including protests.

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.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

The most liberal of all networks

CNN???

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

https://twitter.com/x/status/2017262976760189425

 

[Inthedetails]

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. Dude was out there trying to be in a situation that calls attention to himself. Number one rule of journalism don't interject yourself into the story. Like him or hate him he was trying to be a part of the story. He has strong beliefs and he let it lead him into the story, that takes him from the realm of journalism to being an activist. Listen to his words, he explains it clearly imo. Being a federal agent that's also pastor is nothing to be ashamed of in this country and just bc some don't agree with their occupation doesn't make them any less a man of god. It's sad that the separation of church and state in this country only works one way in the eyes of those who disagree. Religious freedom is absolute in this country as it should be and how dare people interfere with that, regardless of ones own beliefs! I'm disgusted! The church of God is a sacred place regardless of politics!!! I'm honestly not sure how we got to this point but, I do know people need more religion in their lives and less politics! MOO

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

 

[SouthAussie]

Here’s his indictment, he was released on his own recognizance.

Read the DOJ indictment of Don Lemon and other journalists, activists

MS NOW obtained a copy of the indictment charging former CNN journalist Don Lemon and eight others with conspiracy to obstruct religious freedom.

www.ms.now

This article says that the no attorneys other than political appointees appear on the filing, which is a hint that career Justice Department employees might not have wanted to be involved.

It also says that Kyle Boynton, who recently departed his position as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division, was unimpressed with the legal reasoning in the indictment. He thinks it’s very likely to face dismissal.

The Case Against Don Lemon Is Junk, and Dangerous

If the Cities Church case falls apart, it will not be the first such embarrassment for Trump’s Justice Department.

www.theatlantic.com

 

[Jade]

While an interesting event none of the children crying had lost a parent like RG’s children, no parents were crying over their dead child like AP’s. No clouds of tear gas, no shoving women to the ground, no volleys of fatal gunfire.

My the delight of this that those who think AP had it coming to him; see look how horrible the shouters are going to the activist church he did deserve to be shot.

And Don Lemmon faux outrage. Why they picking on him? Why they care about him so specially he didn’t kill anyone nor was he the leadership of those who did kill two in cold blood.

Cus he said Nikki Haley was past her prime, allegedly said someone was fat?

That sounds like Presidential material. Why is he not embraced?

He’s too Black, Gay and “Liberal”?

Not allowed to call attention to himself? Why?

ICE under the Pastors management has rampaged through the streets killing two citizens, acting like drunk teenagers on spring break at the motel, taunting citizens next a fresh dead body drawing attention to themselves.

DL did none of that. The attention on him is intended to distract from the real issue of government agents gone rouge.

Media personalities get fired everyday for little things and always have. DL had an amazing long career.

As an independent recorder of events he has freedom, like Truth Social. No one is forced or limited to viewing them or taking them as gospel.

Don Lemmon is no Dylann Roof and neither are the other protesters.

It’s over no one was hurt hopefully the church will do as the hard line church in my area has done and protect their parishioners from outsiders.

These churches are not inclusive welcoming the poor, the marginalized, the diverse might as well put bouncers at the door to keep the riff riff out.

Yes let’s see the mugshot. I hope DL has an oil painting done of it and it goes on tour ending at a Holiday display.

All imo

 

[Hexe]

A journalist can be an agitator. The two are not mutually exclusive. I believe he was there as an agitator. imo

That word gets thrown around some threads like agitation was some kind of criminal activity. So, I peeked into Cambridge Dictionary for definition of agitation:

agitation noun (PROTEST)

the situation in which people protest or argue, especially in public, in order to achieve a particular type of change:
The anti-war agitation is beginning to worry the government.

First, the right to protest is guaranteed by the US constitution. So, people, agitation is legal. Being an agitator is not wrong in itself. So why is this word used here with clear negative connotation? I fond it quite interesting that it was used in the exact same way in the Soviet block and still is used this way in Putin's Russia. These are not the language standards we want to emulate, right?

Second, I'd say pointing out the societal and political issues and arguing in public media about them , to make a change is a part of the profession of a journalist. Journalism is a way more than just dry reporting of facts. So yes, Mr Lemon might have been there as an agitator and still be fulfilling the role of a journalist. One does not exclude the other.

Instead of focusing on the question of Mr Lemon suporting or not the protests, I think we should focus on his actions that day. If, as it seems he was doing what a journalist should, i.e. recording the event and intervieving the witnessess then he should not have been arrested. He was doing his job.

MOO

 

[ellabella]

Two legal questions on this one, imo.

1) Was Lemon a journalist or a protester? The rights and responsibilities are different. I have yet to see a video where he engages in protest activities. I did not see him walk in formation, raise his hands, chant, etc. On the journalism side, he recorded an intro, asked interview questions, and released his footage to the public. If additional information comes out, my opinion could change.

2) The FACE act as cited repeatedly above requires "by force, threat of force, or physical obstruction." Does Lemon engage in any of those things? Again, I have not seen video of him interacting with anyone forcibly, threatening anyone, or obstructing anyone. If that evidence is shown, my opinion could change.

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?

 

[Mo Thuairim]

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?

I worked in newsrooms for years. News gathering runs on tip-offs, to the newsdesks, to individual journalists. A reporter is nothing without their contacts. They don't just serendipitously amble the streets looking to stumble across stuff to report on.