2 more arrested for involvement in Cities Church protest: Bondi
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced that two more individuals have been arrested for their alleged involvement in a protest against federal immigration enforcement that disrupted a Minnesota church service.
Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson were arrested for their alleged connection to the protest last month in which demonstrators stormed Cities Church in St. Paul on Jan. 18, where a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official serves as a pastor.
“If you riot in a place of worship, we WILL find you,” stated Bondi in an X post on Monday announcing the arrests, labeling the protest a “coordinated attack.”
Those arrested in connection with the protest are facing charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which includes a provision protecting houses of worship from physical intimidation.
The arrests of Austin and Richardson bring the total number of people charged for their participation in the protest to nine. Those arrests include former CNN anchor Don Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort.
During the Jan. 18 worship at Cities Church, activists connected to groups including Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota stormed the service, chanting things like “ICE Out” and demanding justice for Renee Good, a woman who was fatally shot in Minneapolis during a confrontation with a federal immigration officer.
Lemon, who attended the protests and attempted to interview Cities Church Pastor Jonathan Parnell afterwards, defended the demonstration as being protected by the First Amendment.
Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the DOJ Civil Rights Division, rejected Lemon’s claims that the protest was lawful and that he was acting as a journalist when covering it.
“A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest!” Dhillon tweeted. “It is a space protected from exactly such acts by federal criminal and civil laws! Nor does the First Amendment protect your pseudo journalism of disrupting a prayer service.”
Magistrate Judge Douglas Micko authorized arrest warrants for three individuals believed to be leaders of the church protest but initially rejected arrest warrants for Lemon and one of his producers.
Last week, a three-judge panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected an emergency petition from the U.S. Department of Justice seeking to arrest Lemon and four others.
Circuit Judge L. Steven Grasz, a Trump appointee, wrote a brief concurring opinion saying that “the government has failed to establish that it has no other adequate means of obtaining the requested relief.”
However, the DOJ eventually secured an arrest for Lemon, taking him into custody while he was covering the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California.
Abbe Lowell, Lemon's attorney, denounced the arrest, calling the actions during the protest “constitutionally protected work” that was “no different than what he has always done.”
“The First Amendment exists to protect journalists whose role it is to shine light on the truth and hold those in power accountable. There is no more important time for people like Don to be doing this work," Lowell said.
"This unprecedented attack on the First Amendment and transparent attempt to distract attention from the many crises facing this administration will not stand. Don will fight these charges vigorously and thoroughly in court.”
However, officials within the Justice Department contend that Lemon was involved in "part of the planning" for the protest and engaged in actions that go beyond the responsibilities of a journalist.
