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

[SouthAussie]

Don Lemon accepted a lifetime achievement award in Beverly Hills on Saturday, even as the longtime television journalist faces federal charges tied to a protest he says tested the limits of press freedom.

Karine Jean-Pierre presents Don Lemon with lifetime achievement Truth Award as he faces federal charges

Karine Jean-Pierre praised the gay journalist's “unwavering” voice after presenting him with the honor at the Truth Awards in Los Angeles.

www.advocate.com

 

[Rolypolyoly]

The protesters told the children that there parents were going to Hell. And you have no opinion on that? Lets take over a mosque, threaten the worshipers with damnation. and then say, lets just shake hands and move on. Would that work? or would the Minnesota AG be filing all sorts of charges. We all know that answer to that. All my opinion of course.

Did Don Lemon do that?

 

[Rolypolyoly]

I'd call it exactly what it was, exploitation for clicks & attention.

Also, in my personal opinion, disgusting.

Anyone, I don't care who they are, badgering someone for a response in the midst of a high stress, uncertain situation like this, is revolting. Zero basic human dignity or compassion. The pastor was afraid, the kids were afraid, the adults were afraid and Lemon just... blathered on with his questions, giving zero compassion or concern.

100% disgusting.

jmo

Disgusting? Very possibly, but being a disgusting human being with no compassion isn't illegal, if it was America would be a very different place than it is today! JMO

 

[PrairieWind]

They must have mistaken Don Lemon for a ham sandwich.

Well he is a ham, so......

 

[PrairieWind]

Disgusting? Very possibly, but being a disgusting human being with no compassion isn't illegal, if it was America would be a very different place than it is today! JMO

I don't know why you limit that to America. The entire world would be different. There is FAR mor compassion in the US than most of the world's governments.

 

[Inaya]

At the very LEAST it is trespassing as the church is private property. A case could be made that the disruption did make some of the chruchgoers fearful, especially children. If Lemon entered the church with them, he by association was parrt of the protest. A
journalist cannot break the law using "free speech" as an excuse. You lay down with dogs you wake up with fleas.

You can't yell "FIRE" in a crowded theater. With great freedom comes great responsibility.

"Federal Law: The FACE Act prohibits intentional interference, force, or threats against individuals exercising religious freedom, with violations punishable by fines and prison. 18 U.S. Code § 247 also protects against damage to religious property."

 

[Sundog]

There is nothing in your link that supports your disgusting accusation.

Exactly. Just OP's opinion, unfounded in link provided. Nothing related to non-Christians and non-Whites. Some discussion about nature/nurture issues related to heinous murders.

 

[Inaya]

Not my issue that you have difficulty with critical thought.

Nothing to do with critical thought. What you stated is either your opinion or provable by factual evidence as it was spoken.

We will never get anywhere in this world until we can talk to each other calmly, respectfully, truthfully and listening to the opinion of others without insults and name calling.

 

[Summerliz03]

I believe @bearfossils was referring to this in regards to President Trumps remarks about non whites/immigrants having “inferior” genes, which he believes leads them to being violent. It is a distinctly racist statement.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/07/trump-finally-just-says-that-some-immigrants-are-genetically-inferior/

 

[bearfossils]

I wasn't aware Christians ran the country and were so very nefarious.

This thread is about Don Lemon and other journalists being charged for their alleged involvement in a conspiracy to interfere with the exercise of the right of religious freedom at a place of worship. Not about your obvious disdain for Christianity.

Christians have rights. So do protesters. The problem in this specific case is you cannot trample or interfere with one groups rights just to espouse your concern for another group. It simply does not work that way in a democratic society. Just as many ICE actions cross the nation (in my opinion) have been lawless and wrong, so too was this specific protest. Both can be true.

I can be outraged at the BS I have seen my government doing to groups I am not a part of, while also speaking up for another group I am not part of to support their right to worship.

What do you call violating the separation of Church and State then? It's okay to force public schools to put the Ten Commandments up on their walls? It's okay to shape women's healthcare around Biblical notions about abortion and deny us our rights that way? It's cool to block and deny gay and transgender people their rights because that's what Christianity dictates? To obliterate something as basic as classes about women and people of color from colleges because it hurts your feelings?

Just because it doesn't effect you doesn't mean it isn't happening.

 

[tlcya]

I believe @bearfossils was referring to this in regards to President Trumps remarks about non whites/immigrants having “inferior” genes, which he believes leads them to being violent. It is a distinctly racist statement.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/07/trump-finally-just-says-that-some-immigrants-are-genetically-inferior/

I am familiar with the despicable statements made by our POTUS. Just not clear what it has to do with the topic of this thread.

 

[tlcya]

What do you call violating the separation of Church and State then? It's okay to force public schools to put the Ten Commandments up on their walls? It's okay to shape women's healthcare around Biblical notions about abortion and deny us our rights that way? It's cool to block and deny gay and transgender people their rights because that's what Christianity dictates? To obliterate something as basic as classes about women and people of color from colleges because it hurts your feelings?

Just because it doesn't effect you doesn't mean it isn't happening.

Excuse me, what are you even talking about? I thought this was a thread devoted to discussing the case against Don Lemon? Am I wrong? I wasn't aware it was the air your personal gripes about Christians thread?

ETA and the sad thing is, I don't even disagree with you about some of the concerning issues you mention. But this isn't the place.

 

[Sundog]

I believe @bearfossils was referring to this in regards to President Trumps remarks about non whites/immigrants having “inferior” genes, which he believes leads them to being violent. It is a distinctly racist statement.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/10/07/trump-finally-just-says-that-some-immigrants-are-genetically-inferior/

This is a paywalled article, so can you please provide the quote? The NBC article that was posted above was in the context of vicious murders that have taken place recently and are in the national news and that the President was talking about how people turn out to be murderers and he was speculating on the nature/nurture debate, saying that he thought that certain kinds of murders can be related to a person's genetics. Some people think that about people like Bryan Kohberger, etc. I didn't see anything that talks about race in his discussion. Do you have a link to that in this MSM article? It wasn't present in the NBC article that OP provided.

 

[bearfossils]

Exactly. Just OP's opinion, unfounded in link provided. Nothing related to non-Christians and non-Whites. Some discussion about nature/nurture issues related to heinous murders.

Like you need a link to understand he was referring to brown immigrants as being genetically inferior and promoting the idea that they're most responsible for crime in this country, when the reality is, native born Americans commit crimes at nearly twice the rate of immigrants.

 

[Inaya]

My point was: where is the line? Who has the right to challenge those laws? If the laws and Constitutional freedoms are being broken and denied to certain groups, then isn't a covering and perhaps participating against Christian churches seen as being defense of those actions a form of protest? Why do certain groups get the violate the law without consequence but journalists like Don Lemon being held to account?

If they had stayed outside they would have been fine. It's when they went inside private property that laws were broken. Doesn't matter what kind of property to be honest. Why do you think you see protesters outside private homes but staying on municipal land. I understand what you are saying but you seem to be mixing the law with opinions.

 

[bearfossils]

If they had stayed outside they would have been fine. It's when they went inside private property that laws were broken. Doesn't matter what kind of property to be honest. Why do you think you see protesters outside private homes but staying on municipal land. I understand what you are saying but you seem to be mixing the law with opinions.

It's less about mixing law with opinions and more about when oppression or members of the judicial/executive branches acting with impunity becomes too much? How long do the rest of us have to behave when the people above us so rarely do?

 

[Ontario Mom]

Disgusting? Very possibly, but being a disgusting human being with no compassion isn't illegal, if it was America would be a very different place than it is today! JMO

He was charged with breaking the law. Him being disgusting, is my opinion, as I stated in the post you quoted.

 

[Ontario Mom]

Considering that our government is currently testing the limits of democracy under the banner of Christian nationalism, I'd say that Lemon not only deserved that award despite of his charges, but for them, and for fighting back. Good for him.

This link you've included about Christian Nationalism has nothing at all to do with the charges against Don Lemon.

 

[GatorsNorth]

Nothing to do with critical thought. What you stated is either your opinion or provable by factual evidence as it was spoken.

We will never get anywhere in this world until we can talk to each other calmly, respectfully, truthfully and listening to the opinion of others without insults and name calling.

My mother used to say that you should practice what you preach. JMO

 

[Ontario Mom]

If they had stayed outside they would have been fine. It's when they went inside private property that laws were broken. Doesn't matter what kind of property to be honest. Why do you think you see protesters outside private homes but staying on municipal land. I understand what you are saying but you seem to be mixing the law with opinions.

This is the ENTIRE issue in a single sentence.

None of the other junk that keeps getting brought up.

Also, welcome to WS.