A wave of further arrests has swept through the case surrounding the controversial protest at Cities Church in Minnesota, with authorities announcing the indictment of thirty additional individuals.
Federal agents, acting on the direction of the Attorney General, have already taken twenty-five people into custody, with more arrests anticipated in the coming days. The message from the Department of Justice is stark: attacks on houses of worship will not be tolerated.
This latest development follows a superseding indictment returned on Friday, though the details remain sealed. Reports indicate at least nine more individuals were taken into federal custody and are awaiting their initial court appearances.
The initial protest, and subsequent arrests, involved prominent figures including former CNN host Don Lemon, journalist Georgia Fort, and activist Nekima Levy Armstrong. All have pleaded not guilty to federal civil rights charges.
The charges stem from allegations that Lemon and others conspired to deprive the church’s congregants of their rights and violated the FACE Act. The indictment specifically accuses Lemon of “oppressing, threatening, and intimidating” those present, and physically obstructing their movement within the church.
The protest itself unfolded last month, livestreamed by Lemon, as anti-ICE demonstrators confronted the church’s pastor, alleging a connection to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The scene was marked by shouted accusations and harassment of parishioners.
During the livestream, Lemon declared the protest “the beginning of what’s going to happen here,” signaling a potentially escalating series of confrontations. The Department of Justice has responded with a firm commitment to prosecute those involved in disrupting religious services.
The investigation continues, and authorities have vowed to identify and apprehend all those who participated in the disruption, reinforcing the principle that freedom of worship must be protected.
