Don Lemon Arrested in Connection With ICE Protest Coverage

"Don Lemon, a former anchor for CNN, was taken into custody by federal authorities Thursday, in connection with his presence at a protest at a Minnesota church earlier this month. Abbe Lowell, Lemon's attorney, confirmed in a statement that his client was taken into custody in Los Angeles Thursday evening, where Lemon was preparing to cover the Grammys on Sunday. Lowell called Lemon's arrest an "unprecedented attack on the First Amendment" and said that the longtime journalist intends to fight the charges against him "vigorously and thoroughly in court.""

"On Friday morning, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement, saying that directed the arrest of Lemon, as well as three others involved in the church incident - Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy - "in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul." KARE 11, a Twin Cities NBC affiliate, identified Fort as an independent journalist."

"Fort shared a Facebook Live video to her account early Friday morning, telling her followers that federal agents were at her door. "They're saying that they were able to go before a grand jury sometime, I guess, in the last 24 hours and that they have a warrant for my arrest." She continued, "This is all stemming from the fact that I filmed a protest as a member of the media.""

Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal authorities in Los Angeles in connection with his presence at a protest at a Minnesota church. His attorney, Abbe Lowell, called the arrest an "unprecedented attack on the First Amendment" and said Lemon intends to fight the charges "vigorously and thoroughly in court." U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the arrests of Lemon and three others — Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy — saying they were arrested "in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul." Georgia Fort, identified as an independent journalist, reported federal agents at her door and said the actions stem from her filming a protest as a member of the media. The protest on January 18 interrupted services after a pastor's association with Immigration and Customs Enforcement was revealed.

Read at Intelligencer