Justice Department announces multiple arrests in St. Paul’s Church protest
AG Pam Bondi said federal agents have arrested three people involved in a protest that disrupted Sunday services at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Two journalists covering a demonstration that disrupted Sunday services at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota, and two additional protesters have been arrested in connection with the January 18 incident.
In a Jan. 30 post on X, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that former CNN anchor Don Lemon, who was covering immigration enforcement in the state prior to his arrest, was one of the two reporters being arrested.
Lemon’s attorney said in a social media post the same day that federal agents arrested his client in Southern California on Jan. 29.
“Don Lemon was taken into custody by federal agents in Los Angeles last night while covering the Grammy Awards,” a statement posted on Lemon’s Instagram page on January 30th read. “Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and his constitutionally protected work in Minneapolis was no different than anything he’s ever done.”
At least seven people are now facing criminal charges following the demonstrations on the morning of January 18th.
Here’s what you need to know about the protests, what led to them, and how they relate to lemons.
Where were the church protests held?
The demonstration took place on January 18th at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Located in the city’s Summit Hill neighborhood, the church is about halfway between downtown St. Paul and downtown Minneapolis.
What happened at Cities Church?
On Sunday, January 18, a group of protesters entered Cities Church and claimed to be the Rev. David Easterwood, the acting director of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement St. Paul field office.
Nikki Muhlhausen, a spokeswoman for the St. Paul Police Department, told USA TODAY that officers responded to the church, but by the time they arrived, the group of 30 to 40 protesters had moved outside. Muhlhausen said at the time that the department was investigating the protest for disorderly conduct.
Video of the protest showed demonstrators shouting “ICE out” and the church’s senior pastor, Jonathan Purnell, shouting, “Shame on you. This is God’s house and we worship.”
In a statement posted to X on January 20, the church called the protesters “instigators” who “accused members of our congregation, threatened children, and created a scene of intimidation and intimidation.” The church added that it was considering legal action.
What led to the church protests?
The protests came four days after Renee Good, a 37-year-old American woman, was shot and killed by a federal immigration officer in Minneapolis on January 7, and another person was shot and killed by federal authorities there.
The Justice Department said it was investigating the protests for potential violations of the FACE Act, which protects access to religious services under the First Amendment.
Who was arrested at the church protest?
As of January 30, authorities had arrested seven people in connection with the church protests.
they are:
- Don Lemon, journalist and former CNN anchor
- Chauntill Louisa Allen, member of the St. Paul Public School Board
- William Kelly, anti-ICE activist and military veteran
- Nekima Levi Armstrong is a civil rights attorney based in Minneapolis and St. Louis. pole area
- Georgia Fort, Journalist
- Traherne Gene Crews, political activist
- Jamael Rydell Lundy, political activist
Some of those arrested face criminal charges related to the demonstrations, including conspiracy to deprive people of their rights, according to federal prosecutors and the Department of Homeland Security.
James Blair, the White House’s deputy chief of staff, told the X-Post on January 30 that Lemon had been indicted by a federal grand jury.
Lemon has been charged with conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshipers, according to news outlets including the Associated Press and NBC News.
What did Don Lemon do?
A nearly seven-hour livestream available on Lemon’s YouTube channel shows Lemon as one of several journalists who attended the protest, where he spoke with members of the congregation, protesters, and one of the church’s pastors.
A federal judge last week rejected the Justice Department’s proposed criminal charges against Lemon in connection with the protests, multiple news outlets reported, citing anonymous sources.
Contributor: James Powell and Greta Cross
Natalie Neisa Alland is a senior reporter at USA TODAY. Contact her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her at X @nataliealund.
