Don Lemon defiant after Minnesota church protest arrest

Fresh out of federal custody, former CNN anchor Don Lemon vowed Friday not to back off his work as a journalist despite an indictment against him and others over an anti-ICE protest he covered this month at a Minnesota church.

Lemon cited his profession’s protections under the First Amendment — the same one federal prosecutors contend he and his co-defendants violated by infringing on the churchgoers’ freedom of religion.

“There is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable,” Lemon said in his first public remarks since his arrest late Thursday.

“The First Amendment of the Constitution protects that work for me and for countless of other journalists who do what I do. I stand with all of them, and I will not be silenced,” he added, speaking outside a federal courthouse in Los Angeles, where he had just been ordered released pending trial.

Lemon, fellow independent journalist Georgia Fort and two people active in Democratic circles in Minnesota were arrested as part of a broader indictment over the Jan. 18 demonstration against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which Lemon livestreamed while reporting on the event at Cities Church in St. Paul.

Demonstrators say they were there to protest ICE tactics and a pastor of the church, David Easterwood, who also leads the local field office for ICE. Easterwood was recently listed as a defendant in a case brought by protesters who alleged immigration agents had violated their First and Fourth Amendment rights.

“I’m just here photographing, I’m not part of the group. … I’m a journalist,” Lemon is heard saying in his video.

The indictment names nine defendants. The prosecution alleges in it that a group of “agitators” gathered to discuss their plans prior to traveling to Cities Church to engage in a “planned takeover-style operation.”

Demonstrators joined in on various chants inside the church including “ICE Out!” and “Stand Up, Fight Back,” according to the indictment, which was signed by Attorney General Pam Bondi, among others.

Prosecutors also allege that one defendant called some congregants “Nazi,” and asked some children, “Do you know your parents are Nazis? They’re going to burn in hell.”

The portions of the indictment involving Lemon largely hang on details from his livestream, particularly that he made a point of telling viewers he wouldn’t say where the protest was going to take place.

Lemon and Fort — in one of the few mentions of her in the indictment — are also accused of obstructing the pastor’s movements when they approached to question him; the document does not specify if this was Easterwood. Prosecutors contend Lemon “stood so close to the pastor that Lemon caused the pastor’s right hand to graze Lemon, who then admonished the pastor, ‘Please don’t push me.’”

Until now, efforts to secure charges against Lemon had stalled in court. A federal magistrate judge previously refused to approve a criminal complaint against him, saying prosecutors hadn’t shown probable cause — a decision upheld by an appeals panel last week.

Earlier in the week, the Department of Justice had reportedly withdrawn its bid for an arrest warrant, though officials indicated they might pursue charges through other procedures.

Bondi confirmed the arrests in a social media post Friday.

“Early this morning federal agents arrested Don Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,” Bondi said on X. Fort, Crews and Lundy pleaded not guilty at a hearing Friday in Minnesota and were released.

Fort is vice president of the Minneapolis chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists. She posted a video on Facebook early Friday announcing “agents are at my door,” and said her attorney advised her to go with them.

Crews is the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota and a former Democratic candidate for the Minnesota House. Lundy is a small-business owner and a current Democratic candidate for the Minnesota Senate.

Lemon is charged with conspiracy to deprive rights and interfering by force with someone’s First Amendment rights. The most serious charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison.

Prosecutors argued Friday that Lemon poses a “danger to the community” and asked the judge to restrict his travel, a request the judge mostly rejected.

Lemon, wearing a tan suit and appearing visibly displeased during the hearing, did not enter a plea, but his attorneys say he will plead not guilty to all charges. His next hearing is scheduled for Feb. 9 in Minnesota.

“I look forward to my day in court,” Lemon told reporters.

Lemon was in Los Angeles to cover the Grammy Awards when he was taken into custody late Thursday. 

His lawyer, Abbe Lowell, called Lemon’s arrest an “unprecedented attack” and accused the DOJ of using it as a distraction from the backlash the Trump administration is facing after the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Lemon’s arrest marks a major development in a case that has stirred national debate over press freedom and federal power. The case has drawn sharp criticism from advocates and supporters of Lemon.

“Don Lemon has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done,” Lowell said in a statement. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.”

Lemon is still strongly associated with his long-running show at CNN, even though he left the network nearly three years ago. The network said in a statement that his arrest raises concerns about the freedom of press.

“The First Amendment in the United States protects journalists who bear witness to news and events as they unfold, ensuring they can report freely in the public interest, and the DOJ’s attempts to violate those rights is unacceptable,” CNN said.

Several press freedom and advocacy groups condemned the arrests on Friday. The Committee to Protect Journalists said Lemon’s arrest “should alarm all Americans.”

“Instead of prioritizing accountability in the killings of two American citizens, the @realDonaldTrump administration is devoting its resources to arresting journalists,” said Katherine Jacobsen, a spokesperson for the group.

The National Action Network criticized the Trump administration for violating Lemon’s rights under the First Amendment.

“Don has spent the last decade calling out the lies or the destructive policies of President Trump, who no doubt was waiting for the right moment to use his weaponized Justice Department against him,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, the group’s founder.

Jack Pedigo and David Noriega contributed to this report.