Ex-CNN anchor Don Lemon has been arrested for participating in the disruption of a church service in Minnesota, arguing at the time that he was just there as a “journalist.”
Lemon joined dozens of anti-immigration enforcement rioters when they invaded Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, and livestreamed the mob as they disrupted the worship service by shouting and intimidating the churchgoers.
The mob terrorized children and families and essentially shut down the church service on Jan. 18. A federal affidavit filed in the case reports one of the rioters screaming “Nazi” in people’s faces, and telling children directly, “Do you know your parents are Nazis? They’re going to burn in hell.”
Lemon’s arrest came after a magistrate judge last week had rejected prosecutors’ initial bid to charge him with a crime. Three activists from the group were arrested. Prosecutors have accused them of civil rights violations for disrupting a religious event, violating the churchgoers’ First Amendment rights to practice their faith.
FEDERAL AFFIDAVIT: Church Invaders Blocked Parents from Kids, Told Them Their Parents Were ‘Nazis’
Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents in Los Angeles, where he was covering the Grammy Awards for his personal podcast. His lawyer Abbe Lowell said Lemon will “fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”
Lemon was fired from CNN in 2023 after on-air controversies and allegations of workplace misconduct.
“Don 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.”
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INITIAL REPORT: Children Terrified as Anti-ICE Mob Storms Minnesota Church to Target Pastor: ‘Despicable’
