Photo by Paul Marotta/Getty Images
A well known television journalist was taken into custody last Friday, part of a group of four reporters whose arrests are being called a major threat to free speech and the press.
Don Lemon, who spent many years as a CNN host, was arrested on Friday 30 January. He and three other reporters were charged by federal officials for their work covering a protest in Minnesota earlier this year. Media rights groups say the arrests are an attempt to scare journalists, especially Black reporters.
The charges are linked to a demonstration in January at a place of worship in St. Paul. People were protesting the church leader’s reported connections to immigration authorities. The four journalists Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort, and Jamael Lydell Lundy were there to report on the event.
Federal lawyers claim the group planned to disrupt activities at the church. All four reporters say they were only present to do their jobs and tell the public what was happening. They are charged under laws meant to protect civil rights; a move legal experts call highly unusual for journalists.
Lemon was let go on Friday after promising to return to court. Outside the courthouse, he told supporters he would not be quiet. “I have spent my entire career covering the news,” he said. “I will not stop now.”
The government’s case points to actions they say prove the journalists were involved in planning, not just reporting. They note Lemon knew about the protest ahead of time and did not immediately say where the church was during a live broadcast. Journalism defenders say these are normal parts of reporting the news.
Georgia Fort, one of the arrested reporters, said officers with guns came to her house early in the morning while her family was inside. She recorded part of the event online. Her teenage child saw everything. “I am a journalist who was arrested for doing my job.” Fort said.
Many organizations that protect reporters and civil rights have spoken out strongly against the arrests. They say the government is using the law to punish journalists it does not like, and that focusing on Black reporters sends a dangerous warning to the entire press.
A judge had already questioned the legal reason for arresting Lemon under this specific law, which has never been used against journalists covering a church demonstration. Still, the Justice Department moved forward with the case.
Lemon’s lawyer says this is a direct strike at the First Amendment, which protects press freedom. He also suggested the charges are meant to draw attention away from recent, separate shootings in Minnesota involving federal officers.
Lemon has stated he is not guilty. His next court date is set for May. Supporters say this case is not just about four reporters, but about the right of all Americans to receive independent news without fear.