The Farcical Case Against Don Lemon and Georgia Fort for Protest Reporting

A US government agency has launched a bizarre attack on the First Amendment rights of two journalists, Don Lemon and Georgia Fort. The former CNN host and the independent journalist were arrested for reporting live from a protest in Minneapolis, where they were covering the anti-ICE movement.

According to prosecutors, the journalists' "crime" was that they were in close proximity to the pastor of a church who had ties to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This alleged close proximity is apparently enough to trigger the FACE Act, which prohibits interference or intimidation at reproductive health clinics and places of worship.

The irony here is not lost on observers. Covering a protest, even one inside a church, is not a crime. Asking questions - including difficult ones - about government actions that affect public safety is also protected by the First Amendment.

In reality, prosecutors are trying to silence journalists who are reporting on their government's aggressive tactics to intimidate and stifle dissent. This is a classic authoritarian move, one that undermines democracy.

The FACE Act was written in 1994 to protect reproductive health clinics from violence and intimidation. It has since been used by some to target not just clinic staff but also anyone who dares to report on anti-abortion violence.

If we allow prosecutors to prosecute journalists for reporting on public events, it sets a chilling precedent that would be disastrous for a free press.

I don't get why people are making such a big deal about this. I think Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were being super aggressive with their questions and the pastor just got tired of it . It's not like they were inciting violence or anything, just asking tough questions. The FACE Act is in place to protect vulnerable people, not journalists who can handle a little criticism . Maybe if they had been more respectful, there wouldn't have been any issues... but that's not the point. The real issue here is the lack of trust between the media and law enforcement - if you don't like how reporters are doing their job, maybe call them out on it instead of trying to shut them down .

I'm totally blown away by this . Like, what's next? Arresting reporters for asking questions about the government? It's crazy how the FACE Act has been used to silence journalists who are just doing their job. I mean, covering a protest is not a crime, it's reporting on public events! And asking tough questions? That's what journalism is all about . This is an authoritarian move for sure, and if we let prosecutors get away with this, it sets a super bad precedent for a free press. We gotta stand up against this kind of thing and protect our journalists' rights . It's not cool that they're trying to stifle dissent by silencing people who are just reporting the truth .

I mean can you believe this? They're trying to silence Don Lemon and Georgia Fort because they were at a protest near a church! What's next, are they gonna arrest people for breathing the same air as an ICE supporter? It's like they want us to believe that asking tough questions is a crime now. I'm all for free speech, but come on, let's not confuse it with "I don't like what you're saying, so I'm gonna throw some noise around". This is just another example of how the government likes to play it slow and quiet, hoping we won't notice they're suffocating our press freedom.

I'm really worried about where we're heading with this FACE Act thingy. Journalists like Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are just doing their job, trying to hold the government accountable, but now they're being targeted? It's like, what's next? Arresting news anchors for asking tough questions about the president's policies? This is exactly why we need a free press to keep an eye on those in power. If they start silencing journalists, who's gonna hold them accountable then?

I'm getting so sick of this kinda thing... The government is basically trying to muzzle the media by saying that just being near someone with ties to ICE is enough to get you arrested. That's just ridiculous! Journalists have a right to report on what's happening in their city, and if they happen to be at a protest where some pastor is there, that's not a crime. It's like they're trying to silence anyone who dares to question the government's actions. This FACE Act was originally meant to protect clinics from violence, but now it's being used to target journalists who are just doing their job. That's just not right. If we let them get away with this, it'll be a huge blow to our free press and democracy as a whole.

This is getting out of hand ... I mean, think about it. Journalists are being threatened for doing their job, which is to report on the goings-on of our government. Don't get me wrong, covering protests can be tough, but that's what journalists are paid for - to ask questions and seek answers. The idea that they're being silenced by the government because of a law meant for reproductive health clinics is just ridiculous .

I mean, have you seen the footage from the protest? There were hundreds of people there, not just some pastors and journalists. And what's the big deal about being in close proximity to someone who happens to have ties to ICE? It sounds like the government is trying to intimidate journalists into not reporting on certain issues. That's a slippery slope, folks. If we let this happen, it'll be hard for anyone to report on anything without fear of retribution .

We need to stand up for our First Amendment rights and make sure that journalists can do their job without being threatened or silenced. It's not about being confrontational; it's about holding those in power accountable .

OMG, this is like, totally creepy ! Can't believe the US government is trying to silence Don Lemon and Georgia Fort just for doing their job . Covering a protest in Minneapolis isn't even a crime, let alone asking tough questions about gov policies .

The FACE Act thing is wild, I know it was meant to protect clinics but now it's being used to stifle dissent? Not cool . Journalists need to be able to report on public events without fear of prosecution, that's like, super important for a healthy democracy .

Prosecutors think they can chill us with this? Think again ! If the gov starts silencing journalists, it'll be like... well, you know, no free press and all that .

I'm literally shaking my head over this one . So basically they're saying that if you're in close proximity to someone who's got ties to an organization, you can get arrested just for doing your job as a journalist . Like, what even is the point of having a free press if we can't report on anything without getting scrutinized? It's like, I get it, there are some extreme groups out there but arresting journalists isn't gonna make 'em go away . And it's also kinda rich that they're using a law meant to protect reproductive health clinics to silence people who are reporting on government actions that affect public safety . This is a total slippery slope and we need to be super careful about where this goes .

This is so messed up ! I mean, what's next? Silencing people who ask questions about the government's actions? It's like they're trying to control what we can and can't say about our own country. The First Amendment is meant to protect us from that kind of thing, not restrict it.

I'm literally shaking my head over this... don't journalists have a right to report on protests and ask tough questions? It seems so obvious, but I guess the government wants to stifle dissent. That's just scary . What's going on with our country right now is like something out of a bad movie...

omg this is so weird like what's next? are they gonna arrest ppl for tweeting about protests and btw don't people who cover protests get special training or something? i'm just not sure why prosecutors need to make such a big deal out of it... isn't reporting on public events supposed to be a thing?

Prosecutors think reporting from a protest is too close to a pastor = a perfect excuse to silence the press . We can't let our freedom of speech get tied up in church pews... or anywhere else .

they're really going after the press now , like what's next? covering a presidential speech and getting charged for being in the same room as the prez? this is some serious Orwellian stuff, and we need to be all over it . the fact that they're using the FACE Act to silence journalists who are just doing their job is a major red flag . we can't let our freedoms slip away like this...

I'm really concerned about this whole situation... the fact that two journalists are being prosecuted just for doing their job is super disturbing . The FACE Act was meant to protect reproductive health clinics, not people who report on government actions that might affect public safety. It's like they're trying to silence anyone who speaks out against the system .

I'm also thinking about how this affects us as a society... if we start letting prosecutors silence journalists just because it's uncomfortable for them, that's when democracy starts to slip away . Journalists are supposed to hold those in power accountable, and if they're being arrested left and right, that's not going to happen .

It's time for some real accountability from our leaders... the public needs to know what's going on and who's behind this kind of intimidation tactic .

This is getting out of hand! The US government can't even let two journalists do their job without throwing the book at them . Don Lemon and Georgia Fort were just doing what any normal journalist would do - covering a protest in a public place, asking tough questions... it's all protected speech . And now we're talking about silencing dissent with authoritarian tactics? Not on our watch! If they can target journalists for reporting on public events, it'll be a disaster for democracy and the free press . We need to stand up for these brave reporters and ensure that our country doesn't slide into a totalitarian regime #JournalismMatters #FreeSpeech #DemocracyInDanger

this is getting crazy! They cant stop reporters from doing their job just cuz they're in close proximity to some pastor's church doesnt mean they did anything wrong...its like they wanna control what we can and can't say about our gov the FACE act was meant for clinics not protests or reporters this is a huge step back for democracy

This is so messed up . The fact that two journalists were arrested just for doing their job and asking questions about government actions is just ridiculous. I mean, what's next? Arresting people who tweet out what they think? Covering protests isn't a crime, it's journalism. And if the FACE Act was meant to protect reproductive health clinics, why are prosecutors using it to silence journalists who report on public events?

It's like they're trying to send a message that dissent is not allowed and that anyone who dares to speak out against the government will be silenced. That's what scares me about this. We need free press, we need honest reporting, and we need journalists who aren't afraid to ask tough questions.

This is just another example of how authoritarian regimes try to control the narrative and stifle dissent. I hope someone checks this for me - was Don Lemon actually arrested?

Ugh, can you believe this? They're literally trying to shut down the only ones who dare to speak truth to power. These two journalists were just doing their job and now they're being targeted like some kind of threat to national security. I mean, come on, a church in Minneapolis? How many churches can one protest be happening at? It's clear that whoever is behind this is trying to silence dissenting voices and what they're going to do next who knows. The fact that they're using the FACE Act to justify this is just laughable. This is exactly what we should be worried about when it comes to our democracy - people like this trying to muzzle the press and stifle free speech.

I'm really worried about this one. So they're saying asking questions and reporting on protests is no longer protected just because you might bump into some pastor with ties to the government? It's like, I get it, there's a fine line between freedom of speech and not being a jerk, but this is taking it too far. And what's next? Will they be arresting people who tweet about certain issues or attend a rally that's not exactly in line with their views? It's scary to think that our government is trying to stifle dissent like this. We need journalists holding the powerful accountable, not shaking them down because of some vague connection. The First Amendment isn't just for the big media outlets, it's for us regular folk too.

This is just ridiculous . I mean, what's next? Covering a school board meeting or a city council hearing and suddenly you're in trouble because of who might be sitting at the table? The idea that reporting on protests, even those inside churches, is enough to trigger some vague anti-intimidation law from 1994 is just laughable. I guess when you have an administration more concerned with silencing dissent than with protecting public safety, you get laws like this .

It's clear that the real issue here isn't the journalists themselves, but rather their reporting on government actions that are actually a problem. By trying to silence them, we're creating a chilling effect that would stifle any meaningful discussion of public policy. That's not democracy, that's authoritarianism .