Minnesota Journalist Georgia Fort Detained After Don Lemon Arrest Over Church Protest Coverage [Video]

Federal authorities have arrested Minnesota journalist Georgia Fort in addition to former CNN anchor Don Lemon, in connection with a protest that disrupted a church service earlier this month in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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The arrests stem from a January 18 demonstration inside Cities Church, where protesters interrupted a worship service to object to immigration enforcement and the church’s leadership ties to federal immigration work. According to authorities, the protest crossed into criminal conduct, leading to federal charges announced this week.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the case involves what she described as a “coordinated attack on Cities Church.” Federal officials have not released full charging documents publicly, but they confirmed the arrests were pursued through a grand jury process.

Fort was taken into custody early Friday at her Twin Cities home and transported to federal court in Minneapolis. She livestreamed part of the arrest and said agents told her they were acting on a grand jury indictment. Lemon was arrested Thursday night separately in Los Angeles by federal agents. At the time, he was in the city for events connected to the Grammy Awards.

Both journalists maintain they were present in a reporting capacity. Lemon’s attorney called the arrest an “unprecedented attack on the First Amendment,” arguing that Lemon was documenting events, not participating in the protest. Fort has also said her arrest amounts to being punished for filming and reporting.

The case has drawn national attention because of its implications for press freedom, particularly for journalists covering protests involving law enforcement and immigration policy. Legal proceedings are expected to continue in the coming weeks as courts weigh the boundary between protest activity and newsgathering.