Exclusive | Black British public figures rally behind Don Lemon and Georgia Fort after arrests while reporting in US
"An attack on them is an attack on all Black journalists, wherever we work," an open letter, first seen by Black Current News, reads
Dozens of prominent Black British public figures, including journalists and activists, have issued an open letter condemning the arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort while carrying out reporting duties in the United States.
Marcus Ryder, Lenny Henry, Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, Gary Younge, Afua Hirsch, Adrian Lester and Misan Harriman are among the figures who have signed the letter.
“Too often, Black journalists are singled out, over-policed, and obstructed from reporting - particularly when covering state power, protest, racism, or injustice,” the letter, first seen by Black Current News, reads.
“Our credibility is questioned, our presence challenged, our rights treated as conditional, and our employment status is often precarious. This pattern is familiar on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Lemon was arrested on Thursday 29 January while covering the Grammy Awards, and Fort was taken into custody by FBI agents at her home at around 6.30 am on Friday 30 January.
The arrests followed their coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a church service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday 18 January.
US Attorney General Pam Bondi publicly confirmed the arrests on Friday, stating on social media that Lemon, Fort and two others were detained “at my direction”.
She accused them of participating in a “coordinated attack” on the church, which Lemon and Fort have denied.
Both journalists attended the protest solely to document matters of public interest, their legal representatives argue.
Lemon and Fort were released on Friday afternoon pending a federal investigation, with their legal teams maintaining that the arrests were unlawful and in breach of constitutionally protected press freedoms.
The charges relate to allegations of conspiracy and interference with the First Amendment rights of worshippers.
Lemon is a former CNN anchor and correspondent with more than three decades of experience in broadcast journalism.
Fort is an Emmy award-winning independent journalist and vice president of the National Association of Black Journalists’ Minnesota chapter.
A decade-long beef
The arrest also comes against a wider political backdrop.
US President Donald Trump has publicly and repeatedly criticised Lemon over the past decade, at various points deriding him as the “dumbest man on television”, “a lightweight” and a “loser”, among other insults.
Following his release on Friday, Lemon said: “Last night the DOJ sent a team of federal agents to arrest me in the middle of the night for something that I have been doing for the last 30 years and that is covering the news.
“I have spent my entire career covering the news. I will not stop now,” he added.
“In fact, there is no more important time than right now, this very moment, for a free and independent media that shines a light on the truth and holds those in power accountable.”
Under the conditions set by the court, Lemon must receive government approval for any foreign travel and he's reportedly due to appear in court on February 9 in Minneapolis.
Activists Trahern Jeen Crews and Jamael Lydell Lundy were also arrested in connection with the church-based protest in Minnesota, as well as civil rights lawyer Nekima Levy Armstrong.
In their open letter, published today, the Black British signatories warn that the arrests risk creating a chilling effect on press freedom, particularly for Black journalists reporting on protest, policing and state power.
They call on both the UK and US governments to uphold press freedom and ensure journalists can report without fear of arrest, intimidation or retaliation.
“We stand with our colleagues in the United States and call on both the US and UK governments to uphold their commitments to press freedom and the fundamental right of journalists to report without fear of arrest, intimidation or retaliation,” the document, also signed by Isha Sesay, Carys Afoko and Nels Abbey, states.
“These protections must apply to all journalists, not only when it is comfortable or convenient.”
No 10 Downing Street has been approached for comment.
While press-freedom organisations do not routinely publish arrest data broken down by race, groups including the National Association of Black Journalists and the Freedom of the Press Foundation have cautioned that crackdowns on journalists covering policing, racial justice and protest can disproportionately endanger Black reporters.
During the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests, press-freedom organisations documented hundreds of arrests and assaults on journalists at the time.
Black journalism organisations subsequently said Black reporters were disproportionately affected, particularly those reporting on policing and racial justice.
Trump has also spent years attacking major media outlets and singling out individual journalists, prompting sustained criticism from press-freedom groups and media organisations, who say that such rhetoric undermines the role of the fourth estate, weakens accountability and places additional pressure on reporters covering those in power.
The full open letter can be read here.
Got a news tip or story idea? Submit it via this form. Reader feedback and corrections are welcomed separately here.
Listen to Afua and Misan’s great discussion on Don’s arrest - https://substack.com/@misanharriman/note/p-186341091