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

[Smelly Squirrel]

It isn’t. imo

Someone watching that video, without knowing who Don Lemon is, might think—by his words and actions—that he was participating in the protest rather than reporting on it. imo

Not in the least. His actions and words show he did not consider himself a part of the protest.

Just review his own words in his video at these timestamps:
0:20 Speaking to an organization there that's gearing up to um for resistance and protest.
[so he is not part of the organization]

8:03 Let's go. Okay. Thank you guys for being Thank you for
8:08 allowing me to be here. Thank you guys.
[shows he is there to cover it, not a part of it]

[he refers to the protestors as "they" and what they're doing, which is therefore not what he's doing]
23:39 But again, this is just the beginning of this uh clandestine operation that they're doing here because of some um
23:46 inside information that they got. So this is going to be very interesting. I don't think we can go ahead. I don't think we can go inside, right? No.

[talks about missing the beginning, and seeing what is happening. he is viewing, not participating]
25:25 not produced. We don't know what's happening. We kind of do, but we don't know how it's going to play out, right?
25:31 And we won't get to see the initial Do not go down any place that's going to
25:36 get us stuck. No, no, no. We may not see the initial impact, but we'll see some of it.

[before he goes in, he says he is going to SEE what's happening]
38:41 and I'm just going to walk in see what's happening.

[soon after he goes in, the protest starts and he narrates it as a viewer, a reporter]
41:04 So activists are in the church
41:11 and they are surrounded the church on the inside.
41:17 They have found out that one of the pastors
[they found out, not "we"]

[explicitly says he's there to report, not a part of the protestors]
4316 I'm just here photographing. I'm not part of the group. I'm just here photographing. I'm a journalist.

[explicitly again]
45:50 that's the lead pastor over there with the thing. and I don't know if he's the one that works for ice. We don't know. That's, that's what they're saying. So, we're here just chronicling and reporting. We're not part of the activists, but we're here just reporting on them.

[interviews Armstrong, who is explaining the protest to him, obviously because he is not a protestor]
4930 Yes, I told that David Easterwood is a
49:36 pastor here and he also serves as a director of the field office for ICE in
49:42 St. Paul. David Easterwood, are you sure that he's Yes. City Church? Yes.
49:50 And that's why we're here demanding justice for Renee Good and letting them know that this will not stand.

[explicitly again]
5329 So, I'm just going to be as respectful as possible. I'm not here to intimidate anybody. I’m just here to chronicle and to get some answers and let people know

[explicitly again]
5353 But by the way, just so you know, this is what you get with independent journalism that you will not get with corporate media. I'm just here to tell you. So, if you're in the chat, if you're with us, support us. Support us. Support us. Like and subscribe. Become a member. Support independent journalism because we are uh we do it without fear or favor.

[explicitly again]
1:00:08 I'm just chronicling. I'm not with the group.

That's lots of evidence that shows he is there to report on the protest. If you disagree, please show otherwise with specifics.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Ignorantia juris non excusat.

That's a non sequitur then, since I didn't bring it up. I responded to someone else who claimed it.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

First, let's be sure to state this is your opinion.

Second, no one in that church was there to be ambush interviewed by Lemon, and no one in that church wanted to be interviewed by Lemon or anyone else. That junk was pushed onto them without their consent. Exactly as it appears to have been planned.

Pastor Parnell was there to preach the Bible, and the worshippers were there to hear it & fellowship with like-minded believers. None of them wanted Lemon and this band of foul mouthed protestors disrupting that service.

jmo

And none of that makes what they did a federal crime.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

I’m curious how others interpret Don Lemon’s attempt to conceal his identity as a journalist even though he’s “supposedly” there in a journalist’s role. In his livestream, he talks about this, while taking off a hat with his name on it and leaving behind a microphone labeled DL. imo

He repeatedly said the protest operation was "clandestine." The protestors wanted it to be a surprise protest, so he did not want to give away their plan. Concealing the protest is not a crime. It's basically a news embargo, a standard journalistic practice.

 

[Ontario Mom]

And none of that makes what they did a federal crime.

in your opinion.

I'm good to wait for the evidence to come to light & for this entire mess to be sorted in a court of law.

jmo

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

in your opinion.

I'm good to wait for the evidence to come to light & for this entire mess to be sorted in a court of law.

jmo

Cite the federal code then that makes protesting at a church a federal crime. Protests can become crimes, but in general protests are not a crime in themselves.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Cite the federal code then that makes protesting at a church a federal crime. Protests can become crimes, but in general protests are not a crime in themselves.

FACE and the KKK Act, if that inhibits a civil rights of another

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

He absolutely does not wait to go inside. (39:00 on livestream) He enters and the pastor is still preaching and does so for 1 minute and 45 seconds before the coordinated attack occurs.

He should have remained outside, just like he said he would. He even admitted he wouldn’t be able to witness the initial impact and seemed disappointed about that. He let his excitement about what was going to happen to those innocent parishioners get the better of him. imo

He absolutely does wait. They arrived at the church at 22 minutes, but then they circled the block to wait.

ETA (in reference to the BBM) - When he walks into the church, who do you think he’s trying to keep the upcoming protests from—the people inside? The victims? That makes it worse. imo.

Alleged victims you mean. But yes, he is trying to keep the protest a surprise. The protestors wanted to do a surprise protest, no matter how imprudent or abhorrent that may be to others. That's what they planned. Armstrong claimed in that video that they had previous successful "operation pullups."

8:31 This is operation pull up, more of a clandestine operation. We show up somewhere uh that is a key location.
8:40 They don't expect us to come there and then we disrupt business as usual. So
8:45 that's what we're about to go do right now. We've had a lot of success with the times we have done operation pullup.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

The defense motion for grand jury transcripts even mentions this case on page 14:

And what law is that?

What law what?

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

FACE and the KKK Act, if that inhibits a civil rights of another

Nope, it does not say a protest is a crime. If so, please cite specifically where it does.

 

[Snoopster]

Not in the least. His actions and words show he did not consider himself a part of the protest.

Just review his own words in his video at these timestamps:
0:20 Speaking to an organization there that's gearing up to um for resistance and protest.
[so he is not part of the organization]

8:03 Let's go. Okay. Thank you guys for being Thank you for
8:08 allowing me to be here. Thank you guys.
[shows he is there to cover it, not a part of it]

[he refers to the protestors as "they" and what they're doing, which is therefore not what he's doing]
23:39 But again, this is just the beginning of this uh clandestine operation that they're doing here because of some um
23:46 inside information that they got. So this is going to be very interesting. I don't think we can go ahead. I don't think we can go inside, right? No.

[talks about missing the beginning, and seeing what is happening. he is viewing, not participating]
25:25 not produced. We don't know what's happening. We kind of do, but we don't know how it's going to play out, right?
25:31 And we won't get to see the initial Do not go down any place that's going to
25:36 get us stuck. No, no, no. We may not see the initial impact, but we'll see some of it.

[before he goes in, he says he is going to SEE what's happening]
38:41 and I'm just going to walk in see what's happening.

[soon after he goes in, the protest starts and he narrates it as a viewer, a reporter]
41:04 So activists are in the church
41:11 and they are surrounded the church on the inside.
41:17 They have found out that one of the pastors
[they found out, not "we"]

[explicitly says he's there to report, not a part of the protestors]
4316 I'm just here photographing. I'm not part of the group. I'm just here photographing. I'm a journalist.

[explicitly again]
45:50 that's the lead pastor over there with the thing. and I don't know if he's the one that works for ice. We don't know. That's, that's what they're saying. So, we're here just chronicling and reporting. We're not part of the activists, but we're here just reporting on them.

[interviews Armstrong, who is explaining the protest to him, obviously because he is not a protestor]
4930 Yes, I told that David Easterwood is a
49:36 pastor here and he also serves as a director of the field office for ICE in
49:42 St. Paul. David Easterwood, are you sure that he's Yes. City Church? Yes.
49:50 And that's why we're here demanding justice for Renee Good and letting them know that this will not stand.

[explicitly again]
5329 So, I'm just going to be as respectful as possible. I'm not here to intimidate anybody. I’m just here to chronicle and to get some answers and let people know

[explicitly again]
5353 But by the way, just so you know, this is what you get with independent journalism that you will not get with corporate media. I'm just here to tell you. So, if you're in the chat, if you're with us, support us. Support us. Support us. Like and subscribe. Become a member. Support independent journalism because we are uh we do it without fear or favor.

[explicitly again]
1:00:08 I'm just chronicling. I'm not with the group.

That's lots of evidence that shows he is there to report on the protest. If you disagree, please show otherwise with specifics.

Thank you for spending the time to pull this together.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Nope, it does not say a protest is a crime. If so, please give specifically where it does.

I just did.

"If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or

If two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured—

They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death."

18 U.S. Code § 241 - Conspiracy against rights

www.law.cornell.edu

Emphasis added.

"(2)
by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship; or"

18 U.S. Code § 248 - Freedom of access to clinic entrances

www.law.cornell.edu

Emphasis added.

Protesting without interference or intimidation is fine. What Lemon, et al., did is not fine.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

I just did.

"If two or more persons conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in any State, Territory, Commonwealth, Possession, or District in the free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege secured to him by the Constitution or laws of the United States, or because of his having so exercised the same; or

If two or more persons go in disguise on the highway, or on the premises of another, with intent to prevent or hinder his free exercise or enjoyment of any right or privilege so secured—

They shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and if death results from the acts committed in violation of this section or if such acts include kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, they shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or for life, or both, or may be sentenced to death."

18 U.S. Code § 241 - Conspiracy against rights

www.law.cornell.edu

Emphasis added.

"(2)
by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interfere with any person lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship; or"

18 U.S. Code § 248 - Freedom of access to clinic entrances

www.law.cornell.edu

Emphasis added.

Protesting without interference or intimidation is fine. What Lemon, et al., did is not fine.

Thank you for quoting laws that show you are wrong. Nowhere does it say that protesting in itself is a crime. It says certain actions are crimes, but not protests alone, since protests don't necessarily include those actions.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Thank you for quoting laws that show you are wrong. Nowhere does it say that protesting in itself is a crime. It says certain actions are crimes, but not protests alone, since protests don't necessarily include those actions.

Like I said, if inhibits a civil rights of another, especially freedom of religion, it does.

Had they protested outside of the church, no law would have been broken.

IMO.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

He absolutely does wait. They arrived at the church at 22 minutes, but then they circled the block to wait.



Alleged victims you mean. But yes, he is trying to keep the protest a surprise. The protestors wanted to do a surprise protest, no matter how imprudent or abhorrent that may be to others. That's what they planned. Armstrong claimed in that video that they had previous successful "operation pullups."

8:31 This is operation pull up, more of a clandestine operation. We show up somewhere uh that is a key location.
8:40 They don't expect us to come there and then we disrupt business as usual. So
8:45 that's what we're about to go do right now. We've had a lot of success with the times we have done operation pullup.

Missing is the part where the pastor asked Lemon and Fort to leave.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Missing is the part where the pastor asked Lemon and Fort to leave.

Nope, that's irrelevant to my post.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Nope, that's irrelevant to my post.

But it IS relevant to Lemon's and Fort's crime.

IMO

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

Like I said, if inhibits a civil rights of another, especially freedom of religion, it does.

Had they protested outside of the church, no law would have been broken.

IMO.

Yes, IF, and protests don't necessarily do that. So, again, it's incorrect to say protesting at a church is a federal crime.

 

[Smelly Squirrel]

But it IS relevant to Lemon's and Fort's crime.

IMO

Still doesn't make it missing from my post.

And what crime is it relevant to anyway? I didn't know they were they charged with trespassing.

 

[J. J. in Phila]

Yes, IF, and protests don't necessarily do that. So, again, it's incorrect to say protesting at a church is a federal crime.

Is anyone saying that? Have not the statutes been cited saying that the actions are a violation?

Still doesn't make it missing from my post.

And what crime is it relevant to anyway? I didn't know they were they charged with trespassing.

Just cited it.

Interfering and intimidating are crimes. I would say that most protests in a church are interfering. IMO