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After Don Lemon’s Arrest, Black Officials Raise Concerns About Independent Black Media

February 2, 2026

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass attended journalist Don Lemon's federal court appearance after his arrest for activities related to covering a protest in Minnesota, then organized a virtual meeting with Black elected officials and journalists to address the implications. Both Lemon and Minneapolis journalist Georgia Fort face federal charges under the FACE Act—typically used to protect access to reproductive health facilities and houses of worship—for their reporting on a St. Paul church protest connected to ICE enforcement. The roundtable participants expressed alarm that federal prosecutors are treating standard journalism practices as criminal conspiracy, particularly noting that independent Black journalists covering protests, civil rights, and policing issues face heightened vulnerability.

Who is affected

  • Don Lemon (independent journalist arrested by federal authorities)
  • Georgia Fort (Minneapolis journalist arrested and charged)
  • Black journalists covering protests, immigration enforcement, policing, and civil rights issues
  • Independent journalists without major institutional backing
  • The general public's right to access information
  • U.S. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell, Assemblymembers Tina McKinnor, Mike Gipson, and Sade Elhawary, State Sen. Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (participants in the roundtable)
  • California Legislative Black Caucus leadership

What action is being taken

  • The Department of Justice is moving forward with grand jury indictments against Lemon and Fort under the FACE Act
  • Mayor Karen Bass convened a Zoom roundtable with Black elected leaders, city officials, and journalists to discuss the case
  • Prosecutors are alleging conspiracy and FACE Act violations against the journalists
  • Lemon has vowed to continue his journalism work despite the charges

Why it matters

  • This case matters because it threatens to redefine routine journalism activities—such as being present at newsworthy events, asking questions, and documenting protests—as criminal conduct rather than protected First Amendment activity. The use of the FACE Act against journalists sets a precedent that could chill press freedom, particularly affecting independent and Black journalists who cover protests, civil rights, and government accountability issues. By treating journalistic presence and speech as evidence of criminal conspiracy, the prosecution undermines democratic accountability and the public's constitutional right to information about matters of public concern, potentially creating a framework where truth-telling itself becomes criminalized.

What's next

  • No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

After Don Lemon’s Arrest, Black Officials Raise Concerns About Independent Black Media