Former CNN presenter Don Lemon criticizes Trump government when speaking for the first time about his arrest: ‘They want to create fear’

Don Lemon talking about his arrest on the program “Jimmy Kimmel Live” Reproduction Former presenter of the American TV network CNN Don Lemon spoke for the first time about his arrest and harshly criticized the Trump administration on the Jimmy Kimmel program, on Monday night (2). ✅ Follow the g1 international news channel on WhatsApp Lemon was arrested on Thursday night (29) for participating in a protest against ICE in Minnesota. On Friday (30) he was released and said he was working at the demonstration. In the interview, the journalist, who became a famous influencer after leaving the TV network, reaffirmed that he was not there as a protester, but rather to “record, document and document what was happening”. He also explained some details of how the agents approached him, which, according to him, was public and very brutal. “They want this. They want to embarrass you. They want to intimidate you. They want to instill fear. And that’s why they did it this way,” he lamented. Lemon said the arrest occurred as he returned to his hotel room after covering a Grammy event and was in front of the elevator when he was “shoved” and handcuffed. According to his account, when he demanded an arrest warrant from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents who arrested him, an FBI agent who was outside had to come in and show him a copy on his cell phone. “There were FBI agents out there. I mean, there must have been a dozen people, which is a waste of resources,” he pointed out. 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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