Navigate Select ESC Close

"Journalism Is Not a Crime": Georgia Fort & Don Lemon Arrested for Covering St. Paul Church Protest

2026-02-02 News & Politics
33.1k
1.1k
269
Democracy Now!
Democracy Now!
3.3m subscribers

Unlock all features

FREE: Get instant access to 10 AI summaries, chats, or transcripts per day.

Description

Support our work: https://democracynow.org/donate/sm-desc-yt As protests continue in Minnesota over the federal government's immigration crackdown, former CNN anchor Don Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort now face federal charges stemming from their reporting on a January 18 demonstration at a St. Paul church, where a senior ICE official works as a pastor. The two journalists were released Friday without bail following initial court hearings and could face fines or prison time if convicted. Their charges stem from the FACE Act, a 1994 law intended to protect access to abortion clinics which also prohibits interference with religious worship. Seven activists who took part in the demonstration also face charges. "We're having a constitutional crisis," Fort tells Democracy Now! "What we're seeing here in Minnesota is the people are continuing to stand. They are continuing to demand that our Constitution be upheld. I believe that journalism is not a crime." Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs on over 1,500 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream at democracynow.org Mondays to Fridays 8-9 a.m. ET. Subscribe to our Daily Email Digest: https://democracynow.org/subscribe

Top Comments (10)

@jmendez_1203 2026-02-03

Journalism isn’t a crime, breaking a law is a crime.

62 24 replies
@jimcaldwell2354 2026-02-03

Ask yourself and Don Lemon if Reverend Martin Luther King would lead a "Protest" March into a Church on Sunday.

27 9 replies
@matthewboyd2736 2026-02-02

I watched two lawyers break down the indictment. Sounds like everyone involved in "operation pull up" is in a lot of trouble. Watch a lawyer on you tube or talk to your lawyer if you don't believe me...

15 2 replies
@karenbailey3034 2026-02-02

Read the first admendment!! It protects free execise of religion! He broke the FACE ACT law!! He PARTICIPATED in the disruption!! He was asked to leave by the pastor and he refused! He was involved in the planning! ALL of HIS videos prove he participated! If he had stayed outside and just asked questions as people came out, that would be journalism! THIS WAS NOT JOURNALISM!!!!!

15 2 replies
@kevinwagner7333 2026-02-03

Saying he's a journalist is like calling a marshmallow health food.

13
@LadyOrion2012 2026-02-03

They are hiding behind the constitutional freedom of the press to get away with what was basically an attack on a church and its members. Freedom of the press, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly does not entitle "journalists" to organize a mob to trespass on private property and infringe on the contitutional rights of others to practice their religion. Nor does it give them the right to terrorize people like they did to members of that church. Moreover, Don Lemon and his posse would have NEVER done this in a Mosque. It is clear that their hatred of not just the pastor but also devout Christians and their beliefs is what drove them. If Judges don't hold them accountable it will be open season for these people who will be emboldened to trespass anywhere they choose and infringe on the rights of others.

8
@raken79q 2026-02-02

Should have covered it from outside. Imagine it was a bank or someones home and he sat outside with the burglars and talked about what was about to happen and then broke in with them to interview the victims and telling them they are the reason they were getting robbed.

7 2 replies
@Ai-guy2000 2026-02-02

Journalists can't interrupt disturb church services either. He and anyone who invaded the church service broke the law as its written as there are no exceptions for claiming reporting.

7
@mrskeo84 2026-02-03

He didn’t “just show up” to a protest and report. He accompanied the activists in a planned protest that took place inside of a church. “Guilty by association.” The bottom line is that he was morally and ethically aligned with the goal of the protest ( he admitted this in an interview post incident). Once he realized what they were doing, he should have not entered the church with them, he should have separated himself from the group. If I’m in a car with someone and I’m documenting their daily activities. They pull out a gun and then say “I’m going to this person’s house who I think is horrible to do something to them” and they then proceed to go shoot the person, I am going to be an accomplice to a crime! It is my duty to do my due diligence and inquire about where we’re going, and what’s going to happen. And I should have a reasonable suspicion that someone could get shot.

6 1 replies
@JenniferGoodwyne-vw6yf 2026-02-03

Interesting that she left out the section of the FACE Act which directly addresses protections for church goers... Honestly, our modern-day American media is incredibly spoiled and entitled. They have spent the last 20, 30 years working day and night to tear apart the constitution. You don't get to cry about "no consequences, our Constitution" after repeated violations for two decades with no consequences. We are finally waking up as a country and seeing you for what you are. Liars, frauds, two-faced, fork-tongued, and you HATE the constitution and would do anything to get rid of it entirely.

6

Unlock the Data Inside
Turn Videos into Knowledge

  • Get FREE 10/day: transcripts, summaries, chats
  • Chat with videos, export text & PDF
  • $1 free API credit for RAG, chatbots & research

Free forever plan • All features unlocked

App screenshot