Don Lemon Arrested Over Church Protest

Journalist Don Lemon was arrested by federal agents in Los Angeles in connection with his coverage of an anti-United States — United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 18. Lemon, who was covering the Grammy Awards, faces charges including violating federal law by allegedly impeding individuals' right to worship and conspiracy to deprive rights. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, maintains that Lemon was acting as a journalist and that his work is constitutionally protected by the First Amendment. The arrest follows previous attempts by the United States — United States Department of Justice to charge Lemon, which were initially rejected by a magistrate judge. Attorney General Pam Bondi publicly announced the arrests, stating that attacks on places of worship would not be tolerated. The protest at Cities Church was prompted by the fact that one of its pastors, David Easterwood, also leads an ICE field office. Protesters chanted 'ICE out' and 'Justice for Renee Good,' referring to a 37-year-old fatally shot by an ICE officer in Minneapolis. The Justice Department's swift action against the protesters and journalists, including Nekima Levy Armstrong, Trahern Crews, Jamael Lydell Lundy, and Georgia (country), is being contrasted with its decision not to open civil rights investigations into the Killing of Renée Good and the Killing of Alex Pretti by federal agents. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized the arrest as an escalation of the Donald Trump administration's clash with the press.