A federal investigation is underway after a cadre of radical activists—and former CNN anchor Don Lemon—staged a blatant, 30-minute interruption of Sunday worship at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Dozens of protesters flooded the sanctuary in what they dubbed “Operation Pullup,” chanting anti-ICE slogans and shouting down congregants until services ground to a halt.
Their self-styled mission: “disrupt business as usual,” in the words of activist leader Nekima Levy-Armstrong, who openly celebrated the spectacle on camera.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon wasted no time. She announced that the Civil Rights Division has opened inquiries under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act for this outright desecration of a house of worship.
Face-slapping federal law clearly prohibits force or obstruction aimed at interfering with religious exercise. These rogue agitators violated it. Plain and simple.
Lemon didn’t just observe. He embedded with the mob, defended their tactics as “free speech,” and compared their tactics to the civil-rights struggle of the 1960s.
That line is indefensible. A worship service is not a political boxing ring. It’s hallowed ground under U.S. law.
By validating this disruption, Lemon risked becoming a co-conspirator. Federal prosecutors will now assess whether his “reporting” crossed into criminal aid and abetment.
Levy-Armstrong justified the incursion by accusing one pastor of working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement—a charge she hurled without evidence on the church floor.
Her sermon of indignation masked a naked attempt to weaponize faith for a political stunt. True religious leaders don’t ambush their flock.
Unfazed by offended congregants, protesters chanted “Hands up, don’t shoot” and “ICE out of Minnesota” as Lemon pontificated on constitutional rights.
But the First Amendment doesn’t sanctify every tactic. It does not protect intimidation or obstruction. It never did.
By trampling on worshippers, these activists proved that their “peaceful protest” was nothing more than a lawless spectacle.
The DOJ’s probe sends a clear message: when you break federal statutes to push your agenda, you will face consequences—no exceptions for media personalities or self-styled “activists.”
Church doors must remain sacred and secure. Any group that tries to turn a cathedral into a protest stage will be met with the full force of the law.
