The Deadline Club, the 100-year-old New York City chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, stands in solidarity with SPJ, the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists and the many other journalism organizations who have expressed outrage over the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort.
Lemon and Fort were simply exercising their First-Amendment rights as journalists and were arrested for what clearly appear to be political reasons. The SPJ and MNSPJ statements are below.
SPJ strongly condemns arrests of journalists covering anti-ICE demonstration in Minnesota
Link to view post: https://www.spj.org/spj-strongly-condemns-arrests-of-journalists-covering-anti-ice-demonstration-in-minnesota/
Media Contact: SPJ Communications, communications@spj.org
The Society of Professional Journalists strongly condemns today’s arrest of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort in connection with their reporting on a Jan. 18 demonstration at a church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
SPJ calls on the U.S. Department of Justice to drop all charges against Lemon and Fort – and any journalists detained while lawfully reporting. The Society urges local authorities to fully explain the circumstances surrounding these arrests. And the Society reminds law enforcement agencies of the importance of clear policies and training that protect journalists’ right to observe, document and report on matters of public concern without fear of retaliation.
Arresting newsgatherers violates the public’s foundational democratic right to full, fair, comprehensive and contextualized accounts of daily events. Journalists are not the story – they are the eyes and ears of the public. Arresting them for covering the news is a dangerous step toward eliminating government accountability and weakening democracy. A democracy cannot function when journalists face handcuffs for bearing witness.
“Journalists covering demonstrations play a critical role in documenting events of public interest, ensuring transparency and holding institutions accountable – especially during moments of heightened tension,” said Chris R. Vaccaro, SPJ national president.
Lemon clearly told viewers of his live online broadcast that he was at Cities Church in St. Paul to cover the demonstration, adding, “I’m not here as an activist. I’m here as a journalist.” That distinction matters because journalists routinely cover demonstrations and controversial gatherings as part of their duty to inform the public. Law enforcement should recognize and respect that role, not criminalize it. Arresting a journalist for reporting from a public demonstration undermines the First Amendment and sends a dangerous message to reporters nationwide.
“By arresting these journalists, the administration is signaling that journalists are unworthy of equal protection under the law,” Vaccaro said. “By egregiously flouting the constitution, the Trump administration is threatening speech rights more broadly. If they can arrest reporters for doing their jobs, government officials can arrest anyone speaking in public in ways that the government dislikes, regardless of a person’s motives or reasons for speaking.”
Participants in the demonstration said they were at the church because one of its pastors, David Easterwood, also leads a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office.
“Detaining or arresting journalists who are documenting a demonstration involving powerful institutions and government officials sends a dangerous message: that scrutiny will be punished,” said Caroline Hendrie, SPJ executive director. “These actions chill coverage, erode public trust in authorities charged with upholding the law, and deprive the public of firsthand, on-the-ground reporting that is essential to an informed democracy.”
SPJ’s Ethics Committee underscored those concerns, pointing to the Society’s Code of Ethics which calls on journalists to “seek truth and report it,” “support the open and civil exchange of views,” and fulfill a “special obligation to serve as watchdogs over public affairs and government” to ensure transparent governance.
Fort and Lemon were among those arrested Thursday afternoon and Friday morning in connection with the demonstration.
In a letter to the appeals court before Friday’s arrests, Chief U.S. District Judge Patrick Schiltz, an appointee of President George W. Bush, wrote, “Two of the five protestors were not protestors at all; instead, they were a journalist and his producer. There is no evidence that those two engaged in any criminal behavior or conspired to do so … The government’s arguments about the urgency of its request makes no sense. As the government says, ‘dozens’ of protestors invaded Cities Church on Sunday. The leaders of that group have been arrested, and everyone knows that they have been arrested.”
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MNSPJ condemns the arrests of journalists Georgia Fort, Don Lemon
Link to view post: https://www.mnspj.org/2026/01/30/mnspj-condemns-the-arrests-of-journalists-georgia-fort-don-lemon/
The Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists strongly condemns the wrongful arrests of journalists Georgia Fort and Don Lemon for reporting on a church protest in St. Paul.
We are alarmed by these escalating actions by the Trump administration that attack freedom of the press. Journalists have not only the right, but the responsibility to observe and report events in the public interest. It is not illegal to document a protest against the federal government. The fact that the protest took place in a church does not negate journalists’ First Amendment rights to report. The effort to punish independent reporting is an effort to weaken democracy.
Fort is an Emmy-Award winning journalist who has paved the way for independent journalism in Minnesota. As the founder of BLCK Press and the Center for Broadcast Journalism and a former MNSPJ board member, Fort is a pillar of our Minnesota journalism community. She has a passion for making the profession more accessible and has mentored and trained countless young journalists.
Lemon, a nationally recognized journalist, visited Minnesota to report the truth and hold those in power accountable. Formerly a longtime CNN anchor, Lemon has reported in the U.S. for 30 years.
If Fort and Lemon’s cases proceed, it would seriously undermine both the freedom of the press and the rule of law.
We urge the federal government to remember the importance of the First Amendment. The Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists has recorded several acts of violence against journalists from federal law enforcement in the last month. The failure to stop these acts sets a dangerous precedent for censoring the truth.
The Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists will continue its commitment to protect press freedom and advocate for any journalists in our state who experience a First Amendment violation.
Founded in 1956, the Minnesota Society of Professional Journalists champions journalists by recognizing outstanding achievement, fighting to protect press freedom, promoting high ethical standards and educating new generations of emerging professionals. Sign up for our newsletter or become a member today to support Minnesota journalism.
