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

[PrairieWind]

I never said I would support a protest in a place of worship - I don’t think it should happen at any type of church. But I would support that protest being covered by a journalist.

But I 100% do not think the DOJ would be handling it the same way if this happened at a mosque, temple, etc. And I say this as a Christian who is at church every Sunday. The push that there’s some kind of “war on Christianity” is completely made up by the Trump administration IMO. The United States was not founded as a Christian nation, it was founded for religious freedom. Aka practicing any religion you choose. Yet this administration is the one pushing for more Christianity in public schools and in our politics. They don’t even hide the fact that they want the US to be a Christian nation. All MOO.

Well I think you are wrong. But I don't think any journalist should follow into a church and interview people while this is going on. That is becoming PART of the story, not covering it. Invading a church or place of worship is dangerous and incites VERY strong feelings. The "pastor/attorney" that led this protest knew this and is counting on it. DL is a smart guy, he knew what he was doing. I think it is disgusting and an insult to journalism. Does he think this increases people's of journalists? It doesn't. <modsnip>

 

[otto]

There MAY have been someone who claims she fell and broke their arm (something few would lie about). But there were no contemporaneous media reports, and, while it is in the indictment, the indictment pointed out that the information reached dispatchers the next day.

So, would someone who, for example, was casually leaving the building and happened to fracture their arm pin that on the protest? Seems unlikely to me, but possible. It would only seem credible to me if that person were extremely pro-ICE to the point that they would lie for the cause.

Would an over zealous b-team of loyalist prosecutors twist the words of a person whose arm was broken to try to make it fit the indictment? Maybe. Especially given how weak this indictment is, and how motivated the prosecutors are. Personally, I do believe that prosecutors tracked down that fracture. IMO. I want to see the sworn testimony about these injuries and what caused them.

A bad day does not cause psychological injuries. It may, but anyone claiming that the protest "injured" them psychologically has a heavy lift showing that they have a wound caused by that day. A mental health professional has to examine a person before we can say there were psychological injuries.

And, once again, this thread is about journalists arrested for documenting the protest. That is what journalists do. And when they no longer can, we have a dictatorship.

If we have no free press, we have no free country.

MOO

The journalist was in the church at the time the woman was injured fleeing the church. For unknown reasons, the journalist has not reported on the woman who was injured due to the loud, disruptive people that were at church on Sunday morning.

It is surprising that the journalist did not report on injuries that occurred during the incident. That seems newsworthy.

 

[PrairieWind]

My point is it WAS applied to white Christian protesters and they were all pardoned, and the administration which pardoned them — the same administration obsessed with silencing and punishing news agencies and journalists — turned around and used that act to punish someone acting on their constitutional rights to free speech and freedom of the press. So why is it offensive for one group but applicable for the other? What’s the difference?

It does matter that Don Lemon is black because Donald Trump has a long history of racism, especially toward black Americans. This is one more example of his contempt. He has repeatedly and happily shared his racist views toward non-whites, so it isn’t absurd to think he and his administration would take biased and unfair actions against non-white individuals — members of the press even more so, since his government has focused hard on denying the rights of journalists and the freedom of the press.

And your <modsnip> hypotheticals about mosques are irrelevant. Show me proof of that; because I have plenty of African, Middle Eastern, and Muslim friends, and I can assure you that none of them have any faith in this administration extending their powers and efforts toward them the way they do toward white Christian nationalists: a group that he and his people have repeatedly and incessantly talked about bringing to power over others.

But yeahhhhhh…”IMO”/“MOO”.

<modsnip: Quoted post was modsnipped>

But those Christian protesters were in fact charged criminally by the United States, tried and convicted, and often imprisoned. The President's option to pardon is wholly separate. It would be wrong for the United States to NOT charge these protesters as well. That would be equal protection under the law.
Race should, and as far as I can see doesn't, have anything to do with this. Other than the fact that the leader is Black, and the victims are White, has led many progressives to just assume the result must somehow be "just."

And you can call my hypotheticals <modsnipped> if you want, but we all know my point it correct.

 

[otto]

LOL
the FACE act was meant to protect clinics AND places of worship. You seem to want to leave that last part off. There is ZERO evidence this was racial in any way. EXCEPT that protester leader is Black and led an assault on a predominantly white church.

Lets turn this around. A group of white people are going to conduct a protest by marching into a mosque in St. Paul to take over and stop their morning prayers. They wish to raise awareness to the worshipers of their leaders involvement in the billion dollar fraud case. They ask DL to come along to document it. Keep in mind, their intent is to stop the prayers from happening. Is that ok?

According to the journalist:

"Don Lemon is doubling down after being caught red-handed conspiring with anti-ICE radicals who raided a Sunday church service in St. Paul, casting blame on the parishioners whom he labeled “entitled” and accusing them of “white supremacy.”

“I think people who are in religious groups like that — it’s not the type of Christianity that I practice — but I think they’re entitled, and that entitlement comes from white supremacy,” Lemon said of Minnesota’s Cities Church in a jaw-dropping interview with lefty “I’ve Had It” podcaster Jennifer Welch."

Don Lemon blasts Minnesota churchgoers harassed by anti-ICE protesters for ‘entitlement’ and ‘white supremacy’

Don Lemon is doubling down after being caught red-handed conspiring with anti-ICE radicals who raided a Sunday church service in St. Paul, casting blame on the parishioners whom he labeled “e…

nypost.com

 

[J. J. in Phila]

P

Not a great source as it's coming from a televangelist, prosperity gospel grifter, Christian nationalist, who led a prayer at the Jan 6 pre-insurrection rally (in other words, the perfect choice for Trump's administration).

You mean like this: "“Protesting inside a church and interrupting worship services reveals the true colors of a segment within our society committed to disorder and chaos, openly dismissive of the rule of law, and deeply antagonistic toward our Judeo-Christian values." Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, and lead pastor of New Season Church, in Sacramento

'Shameful': Pastors, Christian leaders react to activists storming So. Baptist church in Minnesota

Pastors and other ministry leaders have roundly condemned a group of activists in Minnesota who disrupted a Sunday service at a Southern Baptist church in St Paul, where a local official with U S

www.christianpost.com

 

[PrairieWind]

The journalist was in the church at the time the woman was injured fleeing the church. For unknown reasons, the journalist has not reported on the woman who was injured due to the loud, disruptive people that were at church on Sunday morning.

It is surprising that the journalist did not report on injuries that occurred during the incident. That seems newsworthy.

Alsmost as if he wasn't there to "cover" the whole story and what was going on (the people having to flee out the side and back doors) but only to interview the pastor (while the pastor would normally be ministering to his congregation, ie there to disrupt the service).

 

[Deleted member 117884]

It is surprising that the journalist did not report on injuries that occurred during the incident. That seems newsworthy.

snipped

Send a tip to another reporter to cover it.

jmo

 

[bearfossils]

Well I think you are wrong. But I don't think any journalist should follow into a church and interview people while this is going on. That is becoming PART of the story, not covering it. Invading a church or place of worship is dangerous and incites VERY strong feelings. The "pastor/attorney" that led this protest knew this and is counting on it. DL is a smart guy, he knew what he was doing. I think it is disgusting and an insult to journalism. Does he think this increases people's of journalists? It doesn't. <modsnip>

<modsnip: Removed personalizing comments>

Lemon had every right to be there and document the situation. If the act meant to punish people from blocking access to a clinic was ignored and mocked by an administration that pardoned people previously prosecuted by it, then they should have to justify using it to punish someone else exercising their rights as a citizen and journalists.

Explain to me why it is an assault against America when white Christian protesters are “unfairly” prosecuted by it and why they deserve to be pardoned and excused, but Don Lemon deserves to be prosecuted and punished by the same law.

“IMO”/“MOO”.

 

[bearfossils]

The journalist was in the church at the time the woman was injured fleeing the church. For unknown reasons, the journalist has not reported on the woman who was injured due to the loud, disruptive people that were at church on Sunday morning.

It is surprising that the journalist did not report on injuries that occurred during the incident. That seems newsworthy.

It seems equally newsworthy that the administration actively worked toward pardoning domestic terrorists who were involved in blocking women from accessing a clinic and punished under the FACE act and complained about that act in the past, but felt no issue in using the same act to punish a journalist covering a protest a church. I’m surprised they didn’t bother to discuss or defend that.

“IMO”/“MOO”

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

If we have no free press, we have no free country.

MOO

Don Lemon's actions involved behavior that infringed upon the right to freedom of religion and worship.

imo

 

[Deleted member 117884]

bbm:

[Supreme Court] Justice Potter Stewart argued in a concurring opinion: That the First Amendment speaks separately of freedom of speech and freedom of the press is no constitutional accident, but an acknowledgment of the critical role played by the press in American society. The Constitution requires sensitivity to that role, and to the special needs of the press in performing it effectively." ....

[T]he Court has recognized that laws targeting the press, or treating different subsets of media outlets differently, may sometimes violate the First Amendment. Further, it does seem clear that, to some extent, the press, because of its role in disseminating news and information, is entitled to heightened constitutional protections—that its role constitutionally entitles it to governmental sensitivity, to use Justice Potter Stewart’s word.

https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt1-9-1/ALDE_00000395/

 

[SouthAussie]

The journalist was in the church at the time the woman was injured fleeing the church. For unknown reasons, the journalist has not reported on the woman who was injured due to the loud, disruptive people that were at church on Sunday morning.

It is surprising that the journalist did not report on injuries that occurred during the incident. That seems newsworthy.

Probably because Don left through the front door, and the person who broke their arm from slipping left through a different door. Can't report on an issue that you are unaware of (if he didn't, in fact, mention it in his video. IDK)

imo

 

[Sundog]

There MAY have been someone who claims she fell and broke their arm (something few would lie about). But there were no contemporaneous media reports, and, while it is in the indictment, the indictment pointed out that the information reached dispatchers the next day.

A bad day does not cause psychological injuries. It may, but anyone claiming that the protest "injured" them

<Snipped for focus>

A "bad day"? Children crying and telling their fathers that they thought they would be shot that day while sitting in their church pews praying with their families and church community and pastor? Aggressive and violent chants of "don't shoot" and telling children their parents are Nazis and will go to hell?

Children, the elderly, and congregants overall were traumatized by this event and to call it a "bad day" is way beyond the pale.

 

[Deleted member 117884]

Regarding this case specifically, bbm:


Gabe Rottman, vice president of policy for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, made the following statement:

“It’s obviously concerning any time journalists are arrested in connection with their reporting. To our knowledge, it’s unprecedented for the Justice Department to deploy the federal laws it has previously cited in this case against journalistic activity.

“Historically, the limited number of cases that have been brought against a journalist documenting a protest on private property have been handled as trespass cases at the state level. Those charges are almost always dropped, or if the cases go to trial, the journalists typically prevail.”

RCFP statement on arrests of journalists Don Lemon, Georgia Fort

“To our knowledge, it's unprecedented for the Justice Department to deploy the federal laws it has previously cited in this case against journalistic activity.”

www.rcfp.org

About the source: The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) is the leading pro bono legal services organization for journalists and newsrooms in the U.S. The Reporters Committee provides legal representation, amicus curiae support, and other legal resources at no cost to protect First Amendment freedoms and the newsgathering rights of journalists across the country.
More about the source:
Overall, we rate the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) as Least Biased due to its nonpartisan focus on defending journalistic rights and press freedom. We also rate it High for factual reporting based on thorough sourcing and adherence to professional journalism standards.

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) - Bias and Credibility

LEAST BIASED These sources have minimal bias and use very few loaded words (wording that attempts to influence an audience by appeals to emotion or

mediabiasfactcheck.com

 

[otto]

Probably because Don left through the front door, and the person who broke their arm from slipping left through a different door. Can't report on an issue that you are unaware of (if he didn't, in fact, mention it in his video. IDK)

imo

True, Don Lemon and the injured woman left through different doors at different times. But, as a reporter, when he saw people fleeing out the Church's office door with crying children, was that not the story?

 

[PrairieWind]

Probably because Don left through the front door, and the person who broke their arm from slipping left through a different door. Can't report on an issue that you are unaware of (if he didn't, in fact, mention it in his video. IDK)

imo

If Don was there to report on the scene, he should have been aware of these things. But Don just made a beeline for the pastor and of course the flippant comment about the scared boy "trauma is part of it." He is a journalist, but his actions in the church were as an advocate and protester and has to obey the law the same as everyone.

 

[witchway]

I am not even sure this will go to trial. jmo

 

[Hexe]

If Don was there to report on the scene, he should have been aware of these things. But Don just made a beeline for the pastor

He still was doing a job of a journalist. Maybe biased, maybe not very competent, but a journalist.

MOO

 

[Deleted member 117884]

I can't help but wonder why Lemon as a journalist wasn't charged with trespassing. Looks like they went for sensational charges to rile up their base, but charges that will likely be tossed out. It looks like sensation and retaliation are the goals rather than justice, tbh. A tresspass charge makes a bit more sense and possibly could stick, but it's boring and isn't fodder for outrage.

I am not a Don Lemon viewer and am not following this case as a fan, except a fan for the first amendment.

My opinion.

p.s. I do not condone disrupting any worship service.

 

[PrairieWind]

I can't help but wonder why Lemon as a journalist wasn't charged with trespassing. Looks like they went for sensational charges to rile up their base, but charghes that will likely be tossed out. It looks like sensation and retaliation are the goals rather than justice, tbh. A tresspass charge makes a bit more sense and possibly could stick, but it's boring and isn't fodder for outrage.

I am not a Don Lemon viewer and am not following this case as a fan, except a fan for the first amendment.

My opinion.

p.s. I do not condone disrupting any worship service.

Those charges have to brought through the St Paul PD and as we have seen they sort have their hands tied by their city leaders.