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

[LAborn]

The question in this case is did LEMON participate or was he serving as press.

Press members are not participants.

That will be the question - was Lemon acting as press?

jmo

Of course I can't find the video now, but Don Lemon is on audio/video saying he was there to document, he wasn't part of the protest (someone asked him at the time, in the church). His arrest is a dangerous move by Bondi. It won't work. I've been watching Lemon for several weeks, and he's consistent with his coverage, very even, fair, gracious.

 

[keek]

Because White Christian Nationalist churches don't say they are White Christian Nationalist churches, first there would need to be an exploratory conversation about what White Christian Nationalism is. And then compare that with the stated beliefs of the Cities Church founders and lead pastor.

Understanding White Christian Nationalism

And even then, there would be great debate about the nuances.
But, as we have have linked, there are many published opinions from people who have done the research.

In general, Cities Church is:

- Against a woman's right to choose. The protest happened on Sanctity of Life Sunday for SBC, for example. (Link)

- Lumps homosexuality in with bestiality and incest ... Any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, or any attempt to change or disagree with one’s biological sex is sinful and offensive to God. (Statement on their website)

- Their lead pastor (as per their website), Jonathan Parnell, has stated that the pope is an idiot (Link) because of this ... Pope criticizes Harris and Trump, tells US Catholics to choose ‘lesser evil’ (both things happened on the same day, read what the criticisms were)

- A whole bunch of articles written by Jonathan Parnell, for more reference (Link... Jonathan Parnell is the lead pastor of Cities Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, where he lives with his wife, Melissa, and their eight children.)

- Is affiliated with the SBC. Cities Church was planted by Parnell in 2015 .. Through the SBC’s North American Mission Board, church leaders declined a request for an interview. (Link)

- In 1995, the Southern Baptist Convention addressed its pro-slavery origins, drafting a resolution publicly apologizing to all African-Americans and repenting for the convention’s “[conscious] and unconscious” racism throughout its 150-year existence. (The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary)


I could link more and more and more, to pull the research together. But I have tried to show the 'values' of the lead Cities Church pastor, and we already know the values of ICE Field Office Director/Cities Church pastor, David Easterwood. I haven't yet researched the other 6 pastors of that church.

Another example: research on one of Cities Church founders Joe Rigney - but I suspect you are looking for a quick link that clearly states Cities Church's white nationalist belief system by someone of authority - which I think has been provided by the published opinions.

imo


(@tricia if you need to delete this post, if it upsets some, please appreciate the time it took for me to get the links together to try to give you an answer! )

Everyone agreeing that open and honest and def. non biased information should be appreciative of your search and detailed information. As they say, if it walks like a duck... IMO

 

[tricia]

(@tricia if you need to delete this post, if it upsets some, please appreciate the time it took for me to get the links together to try to give you an answer! )

To the contrary @SouthAussie you did exactly what I asked you to do.

Thank you everyone for the solid research.

We received many alerts objecting to claims that Cities Church is linked to white nationalism and asking that those claims be removed due to lack of sourcing. Based on that, I was prepared to remove all mentions—unless additional credible sources were provided. I expected there would be none beyond the blog already posted.

However, new information was shared, and those alerting can now see where the accusation originated and the accusation is a legitimate one. For that reason, I will let the existing posts stand.

Because of the (imo) bogus charges against Lemon and Fort, the church is now going to be examined by many others, and these connections will come to light.

That said, the church is not the topic of this thread.

The topic is the arrest of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, and whether those arrests were legitimate.

I appreciate the work that was done and will not delete it—you did exactly what I asked. Thank you.

We know why the protesters were protesting. Because of the pastor's job with ICE.

Going forward, please keep the discussion focused on the arrests of the journalists. Unless there is a truly legitimate reason to bring the church's beliefs into it, let’s stay on topic.

Thank you very much. I appreciate all your hard work.
Tricia

 

[CSIDreamer]

I agree, the church’s affiliation is somewhat irrelevant to the discussion. My only thought is in order for the DOJ to win this case, they will have to show proof that Mr Lemon conspired with the protestors to plan this demonstration, and that he acted as a protestor and not a journalist by doing that. As I stated before, we do not need to debate if Don Lemon is a journalist - we all know he is (whether or not we like him or agree with his stance and how he reports the news). He IS a journalist. He was in that church as a journalist, he stated this many times. But to me, the only way the DOJ will win is if they prove he was part of the planning of the protest. Otherwise, his first amendment rights as a journalist override any Congressional acts. All MOO.

FBI Affidavit in Suport of Arrest Warrant | PDF | U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement | American Government

This affidavit, submitted by Special Agent Timothy Gerber, outlines the investigation into a group of agitators who disrupted a religious service at Cities Church in St. Paul, MN on January 18, 2026. The group, led by Nekima Valdez Levy-Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, coordinated their...

www.scribd.com

Thought provoking snippets from the PCA

On page 8, item # 21. Lemon discusses if he can go inside the church or not. There seems to be an awareness from him that he should stay outside.

On page 13, item # 36. There is a redacted name that is seen chanting and punching *his* fist in the air. So far, the only person I can find with that size of a redacted block is Lemon.

All JMO and musings.

 

[tlcya]

FBI Affidavit in Suport of Arrest Warrant | PDF | U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement | American Government

This affidavit, submitted by Special Agent Timothy Gerber, outlines the investigation into a group of agitators who disrupted a religious service at Cities Church in St. Paul, MN on January 18, 2026. The group, led by Nekima Valdez Levy-Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, coordinated their...

www.scribd.com

Thought provoking snippets from the PCA

On page 8, item # 21. Lemon discusses if he can go inside the church or not. There seems to be an awareness from him that he should stay outside.

On page 13, item # 36. There is a redacted name that is seen chanting and punching *his* fist in the air. So far, the only person I can find with that size of a redacted block is Lemon.

All JMO and musings.

MOO the referenced fist is one of the two completely redacted defendants and not DL.

 

[mickey2942]

FWIW, the few journalists I know take their role very seriously and they know the very first amendment of the Bills of Rights calls for freedom of the press.

Democracy depends on free press, to hold authority to accountability, to keep the public informed. Responsible voting depends on being informed - and people are informed through a free press. This not a light matter and journalists take it seriously (as well as knowing they have to "sell newspapers").

This will be a case where freedom of the press will be at its core and we'll see who is strong enough to accept scrutiny of the press.

My opinion

My question here, is that Mr. Lemon is no longer working for a news agency. Did he travel to Minneapolis to insert himself into a drama to be relevant again?

 

[Summerliz03]

FBI Affidavit in Suport of Arrest Warrant | PDF | U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement | American Government

This affidavit, submitted by Special Agent Timothy Gerber, outlines the investigation into a group of agitators who disrupted a religious service at Cities Church in St. Paul, MN on January 18, 2026. The group, led by Nekima Valdez Levy-Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, coordinated their...

www.scribd.com

Thought provoking snippets from the PCA

On page 8, item # 21. Lemon discusses if he can go inside the church or not. There seems to be an awareness from him that he should stay outside.

All JMO and musings.

How does Don discussing if he can go in or not prove he was a protestor or part of the planning process of the protest? To me it shows that he’s considering himself as a journalist/member of the press. Journalists don’t not cover stories just because the people they are covering may be breaking a law. All just MOO.

 

[Summerliz03]

My question here, is that Mr. Lemon is no longer working for a news agency. Did he travel to Minneapolis to insert himself into a drama to be relevant again?

He’s been in Minnesota for weeks. How can they prove he was “inserting himself into drama” vs just covering the extremely large, newsworthy events that are taking place in Minnesota. Every single major news network, plus hundreds of independent journalists have gone to Minnesota to cover this news. Just because you don’t like how they are reporting the news doesn’t make what they are doing illegal by being there. MOO.

 

[CSIDreamer]

MOO the referenced fist is one of the two completely redacted defendants and not DL.

As far as I can tell, Lemon is redacted. Is that wrong?

ETA. That car ride that is in the affidavit has words that came straight from Lemon and his name is redacted.

 

[CSIDreamer]

How does Don discussing if he can go in or not prove he was a protestor or part of the planning process of the protest? To me it shows that he’s considering himself as a journalist/member of the press. Journalists don’t not cover stories just because the people they are covering may be breaking a law. All just MOO.

Honestly, it shows me he was questioning if he had any business going into that church or if he should stay outside.

 

[Summerliz03]

Honestly, it shows me he was questioning if he had any business going into that church or if he should stay outside.

And IMO, him debating if he had business going into the church doesn’t mean he was acting as a protestor. And the DOJ will have to prove that he was a protestor and not a journalist and I haven’t seen anything in the indictment that proves or shows that. They lumped him in with the protestors without giving any agency to the fact that he is a journalist, with very little proof (none IMO) he had any involvement with planning or implementing the protest. His first amendment rights as a journalist means it’s the DOJs responsibility to prove he was acting as a protester and not a journalist. All MOO.

 

[LAborn]

FBI Affidavit in Suport of Arrest Warrant | PDF | U.S. Immigration And Customs Enforcement | American Government

This affidavit, submitted by Special Agent Timothy Gerber, outlines the investigation into a group of agitators who disrupted a religious service at Cities Church in St. Paul, MN on January 18, 2026. The group, led by Nekima Valdez Levy-Armstrong and Chauntyll Louisa Allen, coordinated their...

www.scribd.com

Thought provoking snippets from the PCA

On page 8, item # 21. Lemon discusses if he can go inside the church or not. There seems to be an awareness from him that he should stay outside.

On page 13, item # 36. There is a redacted name that is seen chanting and punching *his* fist in the air. So far, the only person I can find with that size of a redacted block is Lemon.

All JMO and musings.

Documenting isn't breaking the law. This charge was already thrown out once by a federal magistrate, Bondi (Trump) are just trying to harass indie, <modsnip> journalists. Very bad move by feds and the American people. JMO

 

[Cryptic]

My question here, is that Mr. Lemon is no longer working for a news agency. Did he travel to Minneapolis to insert himself into a drama to be relevant again?

Subjectively, I think you are right.

I watched the "warm up" video he made prior to barging into the church. He was basically interviewing himself. One of his rhetorical questions was centered on a belief that he was still a nationally known news figure.

That aside, he had the brains to become a national news figure. I cant believe that those same brains did not include a "spider sense" saying that following people who were barging into church, then "interviewing" people was not a good idea.

Thinking that had CNN learned of the plan, they would have quickly declined any invitation to "report" on it in that manner. In short, I can see the independent type videographer that was with him getting roped into the idiocy. But.... a former national news figure- what the heck?

 

[Barbb]

The church where Don Lemon protested, Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, has ties to Christian nationalism, but it is not specifically identified as a white nationalist church. The church's connections are more aligned with ultra-conservative beliefs rather than explicitly white nationalist ideologies. The information that the church is a white nationalist church is said by the ones who protested this church, thereby bolstering their claim to do so.


Don Lemon admitted he was embedded with anti-ICE agitators in Minneapolis and knew of their plans before they burst into a St. Paul church during Sunday services — despite claiming he was there as a journalist and had no advance knowledge of what was going down.

Lemon also expressed bewilderment upon seeing the anti-ICE demonstrators holding an American flag, which he called “MAGA-coded.” in his livestream.

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.

His livestream goes on to say “These are resistance protesters, they’re planning an operation we’re going to follow them on. I can’t tell you exactly what they’re doing, but it’s called Operation Pull-Up”. This is an admission of foreknowledge that the group he was in contact with was going to storm a church, based on his prior communications with its leader.

“It’s Nekima Armstrong, she’s been doing this since George Floyd, Daunte Wright and others, where they surprise people, catch them off-guard and hold them to account,” the former CNN host added, dropping the name of a prominent local activist.

Nekima Levy Armstrong, a prominent activist and civil rights attorney, wrote in a Facebook post that the “mission” was co-organized from Black Lives Matter Minnesota, Black Lives Matter Twin Cities Metro, and Racial Justice Network. Armstrong was also present at the church, according to kstp.com.

“Friends, Here is a clip of our demonstration this morning at Cities Church in St. Paul. David Easterwood is a Pastor at this church and the Acting Field Director for the ICE office in St. Paul. It's time for judgment to begin and it will begin in the House of God!!!” Armstrong wrote. “Thank you to all of the activists who showed up + independent journalists Georgia Fort, Don Lemon, DawokeFarmer2, Brixton Hughes. Special thanks to Monique Cullars Doty, Chauntyll Allen, Satara Strong-Allen for co-organizing this mission from Black Lives Matter Minnesota & Black Lives Matter Twin Cities Metro, along with Racial Justice Network.”

A paid left-wing provocateur, who operates a travel fund that covers expenses associated with accosting “Nazis,” joined the takeover of a Minneapolis area church as part of an activists protest against immigration and customs Enforcement (ICE).

William Kelly, an anti-Trump agitator traveling across the country to sites of political conflict, appeared to be a central figure in the shutdown of Sunday services at Cities Church, a Christian parish in St. Paul, Minnesota.

With the arrest of former CNN commentator Don Lemon for allegedly violating the religious rights of worshipers in Minneapolis, Democrats and the corporate news media have universally condemned Attorney General Pam Bondi for somehow "infringing" upon Lemon’s First Amendment rights as a so-called “journalist.”

They intentionally ignore how Lemon joined others in storming a church, intimidating congregants, and causing emotional harm to those worshipers (including children) who understandably felt as if they were under attack. Lemon and his apologists continue to defend the organized raid of a Christian service as some kind of “protest” and describe the unwanted intruders as “protesters.” For those who were made to suffer through the invasion, however, their ordeal felt like an act of terrorism perpetrated by terrorists whose intent was to scare those assembled to worship.

When society can’t agree upon the difference between “protest” and “terrorism,” we have a serious problem. We have seen this dilemma play out all over the Minneapolis area recently. Democrat officials describe federal agents conducting lawful arrests as “terrorists” and “Nazis” and defend criminal illegal aliens as “victims.” Trained mobs of leftist agitators who intentionally obstruct the professional duties of law enforcement officers insist on calling themselves “legal observers” and “peaceful protesters.” When Democrat officials and members of the corporate news media describe people who commit crimes as “legal” and “peaceful,” it is impossible for society to share any common respect for the law.

 

[Cryptic]

How does Don discussing if he can go in or not prove he was a protestor or part of the planning process of the protest?

It clearly shows that little voices were telling him that following the others in was not a good idea. Too bad he did not listen to those voices.

That aside, there seems to be some legal issues that may need to be resolved by appellate courts:

- Are journalists truly participants? (one judge and one appellate court seemed to say "no", yet another judge said he was participating).

- Are journalists exempt the cited law? Law seems to imply that it is illegal for anybody, even a journalist (anybody with a phone and an "X" account can be an independent journalist) to disrupt a worship service. Can barging in an "interviewing" people can be considered disruption?

And of course, the law cannot be determined based on whether on thinks the journalist or church was cool or uncool.

In the end, its good to listen to the little voices. The fact that only the "indies" showed up whereas the pros might of declined the cool scoop opportunities afforded by: "Hey dudes, wanna follow us into the Church and do some interviewing" is pretty telling.

 

[bearfossils]

Journalist Don Lemon charged with federal civil rights crimes after covering anti-ICE church protest

I love living in the nonsense version of America, where a government which got to power by appealing to white Christian nationalists and enacting racist policies can charge a black journalist with federal “civil rights crimes” for exercising his rights as both a journalist and a citizen. Orwell would have a stroke just having someone attempt to explain modern America to him.

“IMO”/“MOO”

 

[Barbb]

Did you mean to reply to me? Nothing about what you said has anything to do with my post, so I was just confused if you replied to the wrong person?

You were saying he was in that church as a journalist. It looks to me that is not the case.

 

[tlcya]

As far as I can tell, Lemon is redacted. Is that wrong?

ETA. That car ride that is in the affidavit has words that came straight from Lemon and his name is redacted.

Okay, I see my error now, this is not the document I thought you were referencing. I thought you were referring to the document we discussed yesterday with the court caption but this is an affidavit in support of that GJ indictment doc. Thank you, off to read.

 

[CSIDreamer]

Okay, I see my error now, this is not the document I thought you were referencing. I thought you were referring to the document we discussed yesterday with the court caption but this is an affidavit in support of that GJ indictment doc. Thank you, off to read.

Enjoy. Looking forward to your observations!

 

[Barbb]

Who is David Easterwood? Protestors say pastor is ICE official

Protesters disrupted a service at a church in St. Paul, alleging one of its pastors leads the local ICE field office.

www.newsweek.com

"David Easterwood, who leads the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) field office in St. Paul, also apparently serves as a pastor at a church that was disrupted by protesters on Sunday."

Hard to serve all your congregation if you're working for ICE.

Don Lemon has been charged with violating federal laws related to religious freedom after participating in a protest that disrupted a worship service at a Minnesota church. The charges stem from allegations that he conspired to interfere with the First Amendment rights of worshippers during the protest against an immigration enforcement official who served as a pastor at the church.

There are many church groups out there with different views. The Satanic Temple is recognized as a religious organization and claims the right to religious freedom under the First Amendment, advocating for civil rights and the separation of church and state.