Georgia Fort, an independent journalist from Minnesota, was arrested by federal agents on the morning of Friday the 30th. This arrest of a journalist follows the arrest of former CNN anchor Don Lemon on the evening of Thursday the 29th, drawing significant attention.

Both individuals were present with protesters at an anti-immigration demonstration that disrupted a worship service held at Cities Church in St. Paul on Sunday, January 18th. The pastor of this church is a local official from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Both journalists state that they were covering the protest in their capacity as independent media. Three protesters had previously been arrested and charged.

On Friday morning, Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X (formerly Twitter), "At my direction, federal agents this morning arrested Don Lemon, Trahern J. Cruz, Georgia Fort, and Jamel L. Rundie in connection with the organized attack at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. More details to follow."

Bondi later posted a video on X stating, "Make no mistake. Under Trump and under our administration, you have the right to worship freely and safely. If I haven't made that clear yet, if you violate that sacred right, we will come after you."

Lemon's attorney, Abby Lowell, stated, "Don has been a journalist for 30 years, and what he was doing in Minneapolis was no different than what he has always done in carrying out his constitutionally protected work."

In a video posted on Facebook, Fort said, "As a journalist, I was filming a protest at a church a few weeks ago, and I was arrested for it. If you can be arrested simply for being a journalist, it's hard to understand what the Constitution and constitutional rights mean."

Criminal charges against journalists for their reporting activities are extremely rare. Politico reported on Friday that this has drawn criticism from free press organizations and some Democrats as an attack on the First Amendment.

CNN, where Lemon worked for 17 years until his sudden termination in 2023, issued a statement on Friday stating that his arrest "raises serious concerns about press freedom and the First Amendment."

Initially, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Minnesota sought to arrest eight protesters for disrupting the worship service by filing criminal charges for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.

Violations of the FACE Act can result in penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment, depending on the severity of the alleged violation and other relevant factors.

However, after Magistrate Judge Douglas Micco refused to issue arrest warrants for some protesters, an appeal was filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit in St. Louis, where prosecutors are believed to have proven probable cause for the arrest of Lemon and other protesters.

Politico reported that prosecutors appear to be pursuing a grand jury indictment rather than withdrawing the criminal charges.

It remains unclear what charges, if any, have been filed against these two independent journalists. Deputy Assistant Attorney General Todd Blanche stated that he could not comment on the charges against Lemon as they have not yet been publicly disclosed.

Democrats and First Amendment advocates expressed shock at Lemon's arrest, accusing it of being another attempt by the president to undermine press freedom.

NNP=Hong Sung-goo, Chief Reporter / Special Contribution to this paper NNP info@newsandpost.com