BREAKING: Don Lemon arrested for involvement in church attack

By Elyse Apel
The Center Square

Federal officials announced another series of arrests in connection with a protest that disrupted a Sunday morning church service in St. Paul on Jan. 18.

Journalist Don Lemon, who was on the ground in the church covering the protest, was one of those arrested early Friday morning.

“At my direction, early this morning federal agents arrested Don Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy, in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,” said U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi at 9 a.m. EST.

She said more information will be released soon.

This follows three arrests that were made last week. When those arrests were made, Bondi promised “more to come.”

This comes following widespread calls for arrests in the wake of the protest, which quickly captured attention far beyond Minnesota.

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the protest, which was organized in part by members of Black Lives Matter Minnesota.

Video posted by the group shows protesters chanting “ICE out” and “justice for Renee Good” during the service at Cities Church. Another video circulating on social media shows Kelly calling congregants “pretend Christians” and “comfortable white people.”

Caleb Phillips, a congregant at the church, told The Center Square in an exclusive interview that the protestors were seated throughout the congregation before the service began.

“The entire congregation came alive. Individuals who are planted from front to back throughout the entire place stood up,” Phillips said. “It felt like we were surrounded, because they were all throughout the congregation.”

Reports allege the protesters discovered one of the church’s pastors works for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calling the protest a “clandestine mission.”

The Trump administration has been vocal in its displeasure with the protest—promising legal action.

“Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” Bondi said following last week’s arrests.

The church protest came in the wake of the Jan. 7 killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during an encounter with ICE officers conducting enhanced immigration enforcement. Lemon, a former CNN anchor, defended the protesters.

“I imagine it’s uncomfortable and traumatic for the people here,” Lemon said. “But, that’s what protesting is about.”

Since then, many Republicans have been calling for his arrest. Just days after the incident, Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division, directly addressed Lemon.

“Don Lemon himself has come out and said he knew exactly what was going to happen inside that facility,” Dhillon said. “He went into the facility, and then he began ‘committing journalism,’ as if that’s sort of a shield from being an embedded part of a criminal conspiracy. It isn’t.”

The DOJ and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are working together to pursue charges for federal crimes. Some of those crimes could include violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act of 1994, which prohibits obstruction or threats at abortion clinics and places of worship.

Lemon’s arrest came after a judge last week refused to sign a warrant for his arrest. Abbe Lowell, Lemon’s lawyer, confirmed he was taken into custody while in Los Angeles.

“This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand,” Lowell said. “Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”