New York, NY — Rev. Al Sharpton, Founder and President of the National Action Network (NAN), issued the following statement following the arrest of longtime journalist and news anchor Don Lemon, on highly criticized charges he violated federal law while covering protests in St. Paul, Minnesota.
“Don Lemon’s arrest is alarming at several levels, starting with the sledge hammer Donald Trump just took to the knees of the First Amendment. Don has spent the last decade calling out the lies or the destructive policies of President Trump, who no doubt was waiting for the right moment to use his weaponized Justice Department against him. Don spoke of this need to hold truth to power at the NAN Convention last year, and that is exactly what he was doing while covering protests in Minneapolis.
I stand with Don, every member of the media, and every person who nonviolently protests these horrific ICE raids. We cannot let Donald Trump put tape over our mouths to muffle our right to free speech, when his administration is conducting some of the most heinous actions in American history. NAN will continue to call those out, no matter what.”