In the midst of a tense and evolving situation, a Minnesota judge has rejected federal prosecutors’ bid to charge Don Lemon over his coverage of a church protest, while three individuals, including a civil rights attorney, have been arrested. This incident highlights the complex interplay between free speech, civil rights, and law enforcement in the United States.
A civil rights attorney and at least two other people have been arrested after disrupting a Minnesota church service to protest ICE. Trump administration officials confirmed the arrests on Thursday. Meanwhile, a judge declined to approve related charges against Don Lemon. On Sunday, protesters entered the Cities Church in St. Paul, where a local official with ICE serves as a pastor. This comes after Trump officials and even Nicki Minaj called for the journalist to be arrested and charged over his media coverage of the protest.
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Judge Rejects Charges Against Don Lemon
A judge rejected federal prosecutors’ bid to charge Don Lemon related to the church protest, a person familiar with the matter said Thursday. The person spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation publicly.
Don Lemon was among those who entered the church. He has said he is not affiliated with the protest organizers. He was there as a journalist covering the protest.
“Once the protest started in the church, we did an act of journalism which was to report on it and talk to the people involved, including the pastor, members of the church, and members of the organization,” Lemon said in a video posted on social media. “That’s it. That’s called journalism.R…
It wasn’t immediately clear what the Justice Department would do after the judge’s decision. Authorities could return to a magistrate judge to again seek a criminal complaint or an indictment against Lemon before a grand jury. CNN, which fired Lemon in 2023, first reported the ruling.
Protesters Arrested in Connection to Minnesota Church Disruption
New developments in the case unfolded as Vice President JD Vance arrived in Minnesota. The Justice Department quickly opened a civil rights investigation after the group interrupted services by chanting “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good.” An ICE officer fatally shot the 37-year-old mother of three in Minneapolis earlier this month.
Attorney General Pam Bondi announced the arrest of Nekima Levy Armstrong in a post on X.
“Listen loud and clear: WE DO NOT TOLERATE ATTACKS ON PLACES OF WORSHIP,” the attorney general wrote on X.
Levy Armstrong is a longtime activist in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. She is a former president of the NAACP’s Minneapolis branch. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a photo on X of Levy Armstrong with her arms behind her back next to a person wearing a badge. Noem said she faces a charge under a statute that bars threatening or intimidating someone exercising a right.
Homeland Security Investigators and FBI agents arrested Nekima Levy Armstrong who played a key role in orchestrating the Church Riots in St. Pa Respond: title (no prefix), blank line, article. English only!
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