Ex-CNN star Don Lemon arrested on federal cost for Minnesota church protest | EUROtoday

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was arrested Thursday night on federal costs associated to his presence at an anti-ICE protest at a Minnesota church.

On January 18, Lemon entered an area church to report on an illustration the place protesters disrupted a church service to show opposition to one of many pastors who was working with an area Immigration and Customs Enforcement discipline workplace.

The Trump administration sought to carry costs towards Lemon and 7 different individuals over the protest, claiming their actions violated a regulation that protects individuals collaborating in a service in a home of worship. Lemon, 59, maintained that he was observing the protest as a journalist conducting reporting.

A federal Justice of the Peace choose and federal appeals court docket initially rejected the Justice Department’s makes an attempt to cost Lemon. However, that seems to have modified together with his Thursday arrest in Los Angeles.

An lawyer for Lemon, Abbe Lowell, mentioned in a press release that his consumer was taken into custody whereas masking the Grammy Awards.

“Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful Minnesota protesters, the Trump Justice Department is devoting its time, attention and resources to this arrest, and that is the real indictment of wrongdoing in this case,” Lowell mentioned.

open picture in gallery

It was not instantly clear what the fees had been towards Lemon, however Lowell mentioned he deliberate to struggle the accusations.

“This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court,” Lowell mentioned.

Lemon labored at CNN for 17 years earlier than being pushed out in 2023. He has since turn out to be an unbiased journalist and posts his experiences on-line.

Lowell is a high-profile lawyer who has additionally represented a number of of President Donald Trump’s opponents, together with Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook and New York Attorney General Letitia James.

The former CNN anchor live-streamed the church protest as a part of his protection of Minneapolis demonstrations. In the video, posted to YouTube, Lemon insisted he was “not part of the group.”

But Justice Department officers vowed to prosecute those that participated within the church protest for probably infringing on churchgoers’ proper to follow spiritual freedom.

In a press release, Attorney General Pam Bondi mentioned Lemon along with three different individuals had been arrested, “in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.”

open picture in gallery

Another unbiased journalist, Georgia Fort, was additionally arrested Thursday night, she mentioned in a Facebook dwell video.

“I don’t feel like I have my First Amendment right as a member of the press,” Fort mentioned in her video. “Because now federal agents are at my door arresting me for filming the church protest a few weeks ago.”

It is unclear what the fees are towards Fort as properly.

Two different individuals, Trahern Jeen Crews, a former Democratic political candidate, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, a felony justice reform advocate, had been additionally arrested.