Ex-CNN journalist Don Lemon denies Minnesota protest charges

By Jane Ross, Jana Winter and Andrew Goudsward, Reuters Photo: AFP Independent journalist Don Lemon to plead not guilty to charges He livestreamed a protest at Cities Church in St Paul, Minnesota The arrest is the latest move by the Trump administration against critics Former CNN news anchor Don Lemon has appeared in a US court to face federal charges over his role covering a protest at a Minnesota church against President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, the Republican administration's latest move against a critic. Lemon, now an independent journalist, livestreamed a protest against Trump's deployment of thousands of armed immigration agents into Democratic-governed Minnesota's biggest cities. The protest disrupted a 18 January service at Cities Church in St Paul. A magistrate judge ordered Lemon released to await trial, after a night in custody following his arrest late on Thursday (Minnesota time) by the FBI. Dressed in a cream-coloured double-breasted suit, Lemon spoke only to say "yes, your honour" when asked if he understood the proceedings. One of his attorneys said that he would plead not guilty to the charges. "He is committed to fighting this. He's not going anywhere," said Lemon attorney Marilyn Bednarski. "I have spent my entire career covering the news. I will not stop now," Lemon told reporters after the hearing. "I will not be silenced. I look forward to my day in court." A grand jury indictment charged Lemon, who is Black, with conspiring to deprive others of their civil rights and violating a law that has been used to crack down on demonstrations at abortion clinics but also forbids obstructing access to houses of worship. Six other people who were at the protest, including another journalist, are facing the same charges. Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Minneapolis and other US cities on Friday to denounce an immigration crackdown in which federal agents fatally shot two US citizens, sparking one of the most serious political crises Trump has faced. Press advocates alarmed Free press advocates voiced alarm over the arrests. Actor and activist Jane Fonda went to show support for Lemon, telling journalists the president was violating the Constitution. "They arrested the wrong Don," Fonda said. Trump, who has castigated the protesters in Minnesota, blamed the Cities Church protest on "agitators and insurrectionists" who he said wanted to intimidate Christian worshippers. Organisers told Lemon they focused on the church because they believed a pastor there was also a senior US Immigration and Customs Enforcement employee. More than a week ago, the government arrested three people it said organised the protests. But the magistrate judge in St Paul who approved those arrests ruled that, without a grand jury indictment, there was not probable cause to issue arrest warrants for Lemon and several others the Justice Department also wanted to prosecute. "This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand," Abbe Lowell, Lemon's lawyer, said in a statement, invoking constitutional free speech protections. In the livestream archived on his YouTube channel, Lemon can be seen meeting with and interviewing the activists before they go to the church, and later chronicling the disruption inside, interviewing congregants, protesters and a pastor, who asks Lemon and the protesters to leave. Independent local journalist Georgia Fort and two others who had been at the church were also arrested and charged with the same crimes. US Magistrate Judge Dulce Foster on Friday ordered Fort's release, denying prosecutors' request to hold her in custody, according to court documents. Trump critics targeted The Justice Department, during the past year, has tried to prosecute a succession of Trump's critics and perceived enemies. Its charges against former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, who both led investigations into Trump, were thrown out by a judge. Lemon spent 17 years at CNN, becoming one of its most recognisable personalities, and frequently criticises Trump in his YouTube broadcasts. Lemon was fired by CNN in 2023 after making sexist on-air comments for which he later apologised. Trump frequently lambastes journalists and news outlets, going further than his predecessors by sometimes suing them for damages or stripping them of access-granting credentials. FBI agents with a search warrant seized laptops and other devices this month from the home of a Washington Post reporter who has covered Trump's firing of federal workers, saying it was investigating leaks of government secrets. Press advocates called the FBI search involving the Post reporter and the arrests of Lemon and Fort an escalation of attacks on press freedom. "Reporting on protests isn't a crime," said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of Columbia University's...

Ex-CNN journalist Don Lemon denies Minnesota protest charges

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Ex-CNN journalist Don Lemon denies Minnesota protest charges

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