CNN host Don Lemon has been indicted along with an independent journalist, Georgia Fort, in connection to their coverage of a protest in Minneapolis earlier this month. The indictment alleges that they "entered the Church in a coordinated takeover-style attack and engaged in acts of oppression, intimidation, threats, interference, and physical obstruction."
The charges stem from the protest where activists disrupted a church service in St. Paul over a pastor at the church who works for ICE. Lemon and Fort documented the protest, while multiple protesters were also charged with the same counts.
This is not the first time that the Trump administration has tried to charge Lemon; they did so twice prior but failed both times. A federal magistrate judge refused to sign an arrest warrant for Lemon, which was then rejected by a federal district court judge and a federal appeals court panel.
The White House seems to be taking great interest in this case. On Friday morning, they tweeted "When life gives you lemons...
" over a black-and-white photo of Don Lemon, showing their apparent enthusiasm for the indictment.
Some critics are expressing concern that this move by the Trump administration could be seen as an attack on freedom of the press and the ability to cover protests.
This incident highlights the ongoing tensions between the government and journalists who report on critical issues like protests and social movements. The case raises questions about the boundaries between law enforcement, journalism, and free speech in America today.
The charges stem from the protest where activists disrupted a church service in St. Paul over a pastor at the church who works for ICE. Lemon and Fort documented the protest, while multiple protesters were also charged with the same counts.
This is not the first time that the Trump administration has tried to charge Lemon; they did so twice prior but failed both times. A federal magistrate judge refused to sign an arrest warrant for Lemon, which was then rejected by a federal district court judge and a federal appeals court panel.
The White House seems to be taking great interest in this case. On Friday morning, they tweeted "When life gives you lemons...
" over a black-and-white photo of Don Lemon, showing their apparent enthusiasm for the indictment. Some critics are expressing concern that this move by the Trump administration could be seen as an attack on freedom of the press and the ability to cover protests.
This incident highlights the ongoing tensions between the government and journalists who report on critical issues like protests and social movements. The case raises questions about the boundaries between law enforcement, journalism, and free speech in America today.
... Don Lemon got indicted again and it's just crazy that this time they actually went through with it 
. I mean, you'd think the Trump admin would've learned their lesson by now 
. And now they're tweeting about it like it's some kind of joke 
... "When life gives you lemons..." 
.
and what's with the White House tweeting about this? trying to make a joke or just trolling us all? either way, it's not funny when freedom of the press is on the line 
. Like, what's next? Are they gonna charge our favorite news anchors for just showing up at a protest? It's like, we're just trying to report on the facts, you know? 
. And what's with the tweet from the White House? "When life gives you lemons... 
. As a journalist myself, it's crazy to think that someone who's just trying to do their job is being targeted like this. The idea that they could be charged with "acts of oppression" and stuff just because they're reporting on a protest is, like, super scary 
. I think this case highlights how far we've fallen as a society when it comes to protecting our press and our free speech. It's one thing to have laws against actual crime, but this feels like they're trying to silence people who are speaking out against injustice. It's just not right 
but seeing this happen to Don Lemon's career is really scary for all us journalists & press folk 
how can the gov't be investigating someone just because they're reporting on protests & peaceful protests at that? 
I just hope this doesn't set a bad precedent for our young journalists...
Like, what? Are they serious? It's so cheesy and tone-deaf.
I'm low-key shocked that Don Lemon is being indicted over covering a protest. Like, isn't that what journalists are supposed to do? 
They're basically saying that if you're covering a protest, you're somehow entering a "coordinated takeover-style attack" 
. I mean, come on! That's just not how it works. And what's even crazier is that they thought they could get him the first two times around... 
. I mean, it's been clear they've had a beef with Don Lemon for ages, but this is taking it too far. It's not just about him – it's about the precedent they're setting for journalists everywhere.
DON LEMON AND GEORGIA FORT WERE JUST COVERING A PROTEST, NOT TRYING TO CAUSE TROUBLE! 
AS JOURNALISTS, WE HAVE A RIGHT TO COVER PROTESTS AND REPORT ON IMPORTANT ISSUES WITHOUT FEAR OF REPERCUSSION. 
As if they're saying "we don't like what you're saying, so we're gonna charge you"... Meanwhile the White House is over here posting a photo of him with a lemon emoji