Former CNN journalist Don Lemon was arrested Thursday night by federal agents in connection with a January 19 protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
According to a statement posted to Lemon’s Instagram account by his attorney Abbe Lowell, the arrest occurred while Lemon was in Los Angeles covering the Grammy Awards. The journalist is among several individuals facing charges related to an incident where protesters entered the church during a service, causing disruptions and confrontations.
Lowell emphasized that Lemon was present in his professional capacity as a journalist, a role he has fulfilled for three decades. “The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable,” the attorney stated.
The Trump administration’s Justice Department initially sought charges against eight individuals involved in the church protest under laws protecting places of worship. However, a magistrate judge approved charges for only three people after reviewing the evidence. Lemon was not among those initially approved for prosecution, according to BBC reports.
In video footage Lemon posted to YouTube from the event, he can be heard stating, “I’m just here photographing, I’m not part of the group… I’m a journalist.”
Lowell criticized the arrest as “an unprecedented attack on the First Amendment” and questioned the Justice Department’s priorities, noting that federal agents had killed two protesters in Minnesota. He vowed that Lemon would “fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced Friday that additional arrests were made alongside Lemon’s, including Trahern Jeen Crew and Jamael Lydell Lundy, describing the charges as related to a “coordinated attack on Cities Church.”
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