Don Lemon in October 2019 Mike Blake/Reuters Former presenter of the American international TV network CNN Don Lemon was released this Friday (30), according to the American press. Lemon had been arrested on Thursday night (29) for participating in a protest against ICE in Minnesota. Lemon, who became a famous influencer after leaving the TV network, said he was working during the demonstration, which took place in a church. READ ALSO: US Department of Justice opens investigation into civil rights violations in the murder of Alex Pretti ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp What the arrest was like US Attorney General Pam Bondi said she personally ordered Lemon’s arrest. “On my orders, federal agents this morning arrested Don Lemon, Trahern Jeen Crews, Georgia Fort and Jamael Lydell Lundy in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota,” the attorney general said. She was referring to a protest that took place at a church in the city of St. Paul, next to Minneapolis. Lemon said he was there as a journalist, reporting, when he entered the church to observe the demonstration taking place against the repression of immigration in the region. “As soon as the protest started at the church, we did an act of journalism, which was reporting what happened and talking to the people involved, including the pastor, church members and members of the organization. This is called journalism,” Lemon said in a video. See the videos that are trending on g1 The demonstration in question interrupted a service at a church where an ICE agent is a pastor and they shouted “out, ICE”. The Trump administration attempted to indict eight people, including the journalist. However, the judge handling the case did not include Lemon in the case. Lemon was fired from CNN in 2023 following accusations that he made sexist comments. The journalist has been a critic of Trump since the American president’s first term. He often calls the Republican a liar. In a statement, the broadcaster says that Lemon’s arrest raises worrying questions about freedom of the press and the First Amendment, which deals with the subject, in addition to freedom of religion and expression. “The Department of Justice has twice failed to obtain an arrest warrant for Don and several other journalists in Minnesota, where the chief judge of the Federal District Court of Minnesota concluded that there was ‘no evidence’ of any criminal behavior involved in their work,” the statement said. The communication published on the broadcaster’s networks ends by defending freedom of the press and says that it will continue to monitor the case. “The United States First Amendment protects journalists who witness facts and events as they unfold, ensuring that they can report freely in the public interest, and the Department of Justice’s attempts to violate these rights are unacceptable. We will be following this case closely”, he points out. After leaving CNN, Lemon began working independently on a YouTube channel. In recent weeks, the state of Minnesota has become the center of large protests against ICE’s actions in the region, mainly after two American citizens died after being targeted by immigration agents: poet Renée Nicole Good and nurse Alex Pretti, both 37 years old and who were protesting against the actions of these agents.
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Former CNN presenter detained for protest against ICE released
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