Explosive Footage Shows Don Lemon With Protesters Before Church Chaos — Critics Slam His 'Journalism' Defence

Former CNN anchor Don Lemon was seen on video with anti-ICE activists moments before they stormed a St Paul, Minnesota, church during a Sunday service, footage and livestreams show, undermining his repeated claims that he had no prior affiliations with the group and was there purely in a journalistic capacity. The incident has provoked federal scrutiny, deep criticism from legal authorities and political figures, and raised urgent questions about the boundary between media coverage and active participation in protest movements.

On Sunday, 18 January 2026, a group of anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protesters disrupted services at Cities Church in St Paul, chanting slogans and confronting congregants after accusing one of the church's pastors of alleged ties to federal immigration enforcement. Former CNN host Don Lemon livestreamed segments of the protest on his YouTube channel and was visibly present with the group as they approached and entered the church.

Newly Surfaced Video Contradicts Lemon's Claim of No Affiliation

Raw footage published online shows Lemon speaking with activists prior to the disruption and referring to plans of accompanying them on what was described as 'Operation Pull-Up,' a spontaneous direct action led by local activist Nekima Armstrong. In the livestream material, Lemon says the group planned an operation he and his crew were following, a statement that appears to imply foreknowledge of the protesters' target and actions.

In the segment, Lemon can be heard describing the group as 'resistance protesters' and their plan as an operation they would track, remarks that sharply contrast with his later public statements.

Following the incident, Lemon strongly denied having affiliations with the group or prior knowledge of their intent to enter the church, asserting that he began reporting only after the protest was underway. He defended his actions as protected by the First Amendment and insisted he was there solely to 'chronicle protests.'

Federal and Legal Backlash Over Church Disruption

The US Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division, under Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon, issued a public warning to Lemon on the social media platform X, stating that a house of worship is not a public forum for protests and that conduct such as entering the church during service could violate federal law. Dhillon explicitly stated that the First Amendment does not shield 'pseudo journalism' that disrupts a prayer service.

Authorities have opened an investigation into whether the actions of the protesters, and by extension those at the front of the group's livestreams, could violate federal statutes protecting religious practice, such as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and other civil rights statutes. Federal investigators are reviewing available video and witness accounts to determine whether any criminal or civil actions are warranted.

The protest was triggered amid broader unrest in Minneapolis and St Paul following the fatal shooting of anti-ICE activist Renee Good by an ICE agent on 7 January 2026. Tensions have escalated significantly in the region over immigration enforcement operations, including legal challenges and civil lawsuits against federal practices under the broader Operation Metro Surge initiative.

Cities Church lead pastor Jonathan Parnell spoke on camera during Lemon's livestream, condemning the interruption as 'shameful' and 'unacceptable,' emphasising that worshippers had been forced to leave and that the disruption was a violation of their right to worship.

Contested Narratives and Public Reaction

In several livestream segments, Lemon defended the presence of protesters and his own proximity to them. He described the protest as an expression of constitutional rights and argued that observing and documenting such events falls under legitimate journalistic practice.

At times during the footage, Lemon is heard describing the protest as 'uncomfortable and traumatic' for churchgoers, while characterising the demonstrators' actions as part of what he termed a rightful exercise of protest.

Critics have seized on the newly surfaced footage and livestreams to argue that Lemon's role was not that of a detached reporter but of an embedded participant. Conservative commentators, political figures, and legal analysts have accused him of blurring the line between documentation and active involvement, chanting alongside activists and entering the church with the group.

Public response has been sharply divided. Some observers, including churchgoers captured in video after the event, expressed outrage that worship was interrupted in what they consider a sacred space. Others have used the incident to fuel wider debates over protest rights, media conduct, and the appropriate limits on civil disobedience when it intersects with private religious services.

As investigators review hours of livestreamed material, social media posts, and testimonies from participants and witnesses, the question of whether Lemon's actions were strictly journalistic or crossed into advocacy and complicity remains a contentious flashpoint within a deeply polarised national discourse.