DOJ announces more arrests in St. Paul church protest, nine total

By Elyse Apel
The Center Square

Federal officials have made nine arrests in connection with a protest that disrupted a Sunday morning church service in St. Paul on Jan. 18.

That comes after U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced two additional arrests Monday.

“If you riot in a place of worship, we WILL find you,” Bondi said. “We have made two more arrests in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota: Ian Davis Austin and Jerome Deangelo Richardson.”

All nine were indicted by a federal grand jury in Minnesota last week on two counts:

• conspiracy against right of religious freedom at a place of worship

• and injure, intimidate, and interfere with exercise of the right of religious freedom at a place of worship

This comes following widespread calls for arrests in the wake of the protest, which quickly captured attention far beyond Minnesota.

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating the protest, which was organized in part by members of Black Lives Matter Minnesota.

Video posted by the group shows protesters chanting “ICE out” and “justice for Renee Good” during the service at Cities Church. Another video circulating on social media shows Kelly calling congregants “pretend Christians” and “comfortable white people.”

Caleb Phillips, a congregant at the church, told The Center Square in an exclusive interview that the protestors were seated throughout the congregation before the service began.

“The entire congregation came alive. Individuals who are planted from front to back throughout the entire place stood up,” Phillips said. “It felt like we were surrounded, because they were all throughout the congregation.”

Reports allege the protesters discovered one of the church’s pastors works for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, calling the protest a “clandestine mission.”

The church protest came in the wake of the Jan. 7 killing of 37-year-old Renee Nicole Good during an encounter with ICE officers conducting enhanced immigration enforcement. Lemon, a former CNN anchor, defended the protesters.

“I imagine it’s uncomfortable and traumatic for the people here,” Lemon said during a livestream of the protest at service. “But, that’s what protesting is about.”

The indictment called the protest a “coordinated takeover-style attack.” Lemon was arrested on Friday, but almost immediately released after a judge ruled there was a lack of probable cause for any of the arrests.

Since then, Lemon has appeared at the Grammy’s and on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”

“I will not stop now. I will not stop ever,” Lemon said. “In fact, there is no more important time but right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on truth and holds those in power accountable.”