The former CNN anchor was arrested after doing a live broadcast inside a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on January 18. Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents after being accused of violating the First Amendment.
On the day of the incident, Lemon was interviewing Pastor Jonathan Parnell when anti-ICE protesters entered the building.
The protesters entered the church to demonstrate against David Easterwood, a church leader they identified as the Acting Director of the ICE Field Office in St. Paul.
The scene drew negative attention on social media, prompting President Donald Trump to call the episode “terrible.”
“I have so much respect for that pastor. He was so calm, so polite. He was simply harassed. What happened in that church was horrible,” the president reportedly said, according to Forbes.
The reporter stated that he had “no affiliation” with the protesters and also asserted that he was performing his duties as a journalist.
Less than 15 days after the incident, while in Los Angeles covering the Grammys, Lemon was “detained by a federal agent” on January 29, according to his lawyer Abbe Lowe in a statement.
He was charged with conspiracy to violate someone’s constitutional rights and violation of the FACE Act, a law that protects the right to religious expression under the First Amendment against forced or threatening interference.
Lemon’s lawyer stated that “the First Amendment exists to protect journalists, whose role is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable.”
“Instead of investigating the federal agents who killed two peaceful protesters in Minnesota, Trump’s Department of Justice is spending its time, attention, and resources on this arrest,” Lowe criticized.
The former CNN anchor attended superproducer Clive Davis’s annual pre-Grammy party on Saturday, January 31, where he was met with enthusiastic standing applause from the audience.
CNN reported that Lemon is expected to appear in court on Monday (February 2).
Ver essa foto no Instagram
