The arrest of Don Lemon is blatant censorship. And he is not the only one | Seth Stern

D

DreamQuill

The Trump administration's war on journalists has reached new heights, with Don Lemon and Georgia Fort being arrested last week in a blatant attempt to silence the free press. Two federal courts have now reviewed the government's evidence against these two journalists and declined to approve their arrest, highlighting the absurdity of the charges brought against them.

In a clear case of lawless behavior, Attorney General Pam Bondi persisted with her administration's crusade against routine journalism, despite the fact that the evidence presented is not only weak but also utterly inapplicable to the laws under which Lemon and Fort are charged. The two journalists were accused of conspiring to stop people from exercising their constitutional rights - a charge that is ironic given that the Trump administration has been guilty of exactly the same thing.

The law being used against these journalists requires an intent to interfere with religious worship, or access to reproductive health clinics, not the lawful documentation of news events by journalists who do not plan protests or participate in them. Journalists follow the news - they don't decide where it happens. Protesters in Minneapolis chose to demonstrate at a church because of its connection to ICE, one of the federal agencies terrorizing their city and murdering their neighbors.

This is not an isolated incident but rather part of a larger pattern of press freedom abuses at the local level that has now been replicated at the federal level. The recent raid on Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson and the prosecution of journalists in rural Kansas and Florida demonstrate the administration's willingness to use law to silence journalists who report on protests.

The case against Lemon and Fort may be even weaker given the legal elements of the laws under which they were charged, but it underscores the same absurdity. What if police had shot someone at the encampment sweep? Would reporters be expected to not report the news due to a curfew?

These incidents demonstrate that no one is above the law - not even journalists who are reporting on protests. It's time for the media to take a stand and hold the government accountable for its actions. The Trump administration's attacks on journalists will only succeed if we self-censor and capitulate, but history has shown us that fighting back has far better track record than silencing ourselves.

As Seth Stern, director of advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation, aptly put it, "No one wants to be arrested," but in this case, it's not a question of whether we want to be arrested - it's a matter of whether we have the courage to stand up for our rights and fight back against those who seek to silence us. The time for self-censorship is over - it's time to take a stand and report the news without fear of retribution.
 
I'm really worried about what's happening to Don Lemon and Georgia Fort 🤯. It's like they're trying to send a message that journalists are not above the law, but we all know that's just not true 👊. The fact that two federal courts have declined to approve their arrest shows us that this administration is getting desperate and willing to bend the rules to get what it wants 🚫.

I mean, think about it - if police were to shoot someone at a protest, would reporters be expected to just sit on the story? It's not right, and we need to hold our government accountable for its actions 💪. The media needs to take a stand and report the news without fear of retribution - that's what journalists are supposed to do, after all 📰.

It's ironic that this administration is trying to silence journalists when they're the ones who have been so critical of the press lately 🤦‍♂️. They need to stop playing both sides and start respecting the freedom of the press - or we'll keep speaking out against their actions 💥.
 
🚨 this is getting outta hand, dont think trump can just silence journalists whenever he wants, its like he thinks hes above the law 🤣 news reporters are there to document events not decide what happens, cant let him bully them into staying quiet 📰👮‍♂️
 
🤔 This is getting outta hand! Like, seriously, can't they just let journalists do their job? I mean, if protesters are gonna show up at churches or clinics, shouldn't that be reported on? It's not like they're breaking some new law or anything. And what's with the whole "no intent to interfere" thing? That sounds like a total cop-out. 🚔 If the government can just charge journalists for reporting on stuff without intention, then why should we trust them to follow the law in any other situation? It's all about silencing dissent and controlling the narrative. We need more than just protests and petitions to stand up against this kind of thing... someone needs to fact-check these charges and get some real evidence 📊
 
omg u no this is gettin worse 😩, don't even get me started on the Wash post reporter Hannah Natanson getting raided by cops it was like something outta a movie 🤯 her job is 2 report on protests not 2 decide whr they happen so wut r we gonna do? 🤔
 
lol what's going on with these journalists? Like, don't they know that just 'cause they're doing their job doesn't mean they can be messed with? 🤦‍♂️ I'm not surprised though, Trump's been trying to stifle the press for ages, it's like he thinks we won't notice or something. 📰😒 And what's with this law about interfering with religious worship or reproductive health clinics? Like, journalists aren't even covering those things, they're just reporting on protests and stuff. It's so unfair that these two got arrested in the first place. 🤕 The fact that two courts already declined to approve their arrest is like, a huge middle finger to the Trump admin 😡. We need more people speaking out against this kind of abuse, it's time for the media to take a stand and not be afraid to report the truth, even if it means ruffling some feathers 💪
 
I'm telling you, this is getting out of hand 🙅‍♂️! First, it was one journalist, then another, now two. What's next? Are they gonna start arresting all of us for following the news on social media? 😱 I mean, come on, journalists are just doing their job. They're not planning protests or participating in them, they're just reporting what's happening. And what's with this law that says you need to have an intent to interfere with religious worship or reproductive health clinics? That's not journalism, that's fantasy land 🤪.

And don't even get me started on the fact that these journalists were arrested in the first place. I mean, who are they supposed to be afraid of - the government? The police? They're just trying to do their job and report the news. And now, two federal courts have ruled against them, saying the evidence is weak and doesn't apply to the laws under which they were charged. It's like, what's going on here? Is this some kind of joke? 😂

You know, I was talking to my friend earlier about this, and we were both thinking the same thing - if police had shot someone at that encampment sweep, would reporters be expected not to report it because there was a curfew? 🤔 It's like, no one is above the law, but apparently, journalists who report on protests are fair game. That's not right.

Anyway, I think we need to take a stand and hold our government accountable for their actions. We can't just sit back and self-censor ourselves. As Seth Stern said, it's time to fight back against those who seek to silence us. Let's report the news without fear of retribution and show our government that we won't be silenced 📰💪.
 
I cant believe its come to this 🤯, the government is basically saying that as long as journalists are reporting on protests they're just bystanders, not participants. its like back in the day when I used to watch CNN with my grandma, we always had respect for the press and their role in society. now it feels like were living in a dystopian novel where its anyone's guess what will get you arrested next 📚

I mean, think about it, if journalists can be arrested just for showing up to cover a story, whats stopping them from silencing all of us? thats the scary part 🤔. we need to stand strong and keep reporting the truth no matter what, its not about being heroes or villains, its just about doing our job.

I remember when I was younger and used to watch news with my family, we never had to worry about the government silencing us. it feels like a different world now 🌎. we need to take a stand and fight for our freedom of speech, its time to report the truth without fear of retribution 💪
 
I'm literally shook by this 🤯, can you imagine being in Don Lemon's shoes? I mean, our school has rules against harassment and bullying but if someone like that tried to intimidate a journalist, they'd be outta here in an instant 🚫. And it's not just the journalists who are affected, think about all the students who rely on them for accurate info about what's going on in the world 📰. I'm so glad those courts declined to approve their arrest, justice should prevail 💯. We need more voices like Don Lemon and Georgia Fort standing up against this kind of lawless behavior, it's time for us to take a stand too! 💪
 
I'm shocked by this latest development 🤯. It's clear that the government has crossed a line in its pursuit of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort. I mean, who decides where protesters go? The media doesn't - we just cover the story as it happens. It's not like we're planning these protests or anything.

I'm glad to hear that two federal courts have declined to approve their arrest, but this whole thing is just a waste of time and resources. What's next? Are they going to start arresting photographers too?

The fact that this administration thinks it can silence us with laws about religious worship and reproductive health clinics is just laughable 🤣. We're not trying to interfere with anyone's rights, we're just doing our job.

It's time for the media to stand up for itself and fight back against these attacks on press freedom. We can't let ourselves be bullied or intimidated into self-censorship. That would be a huge betrayal of everything we value as journalists.
 
🚨 this whole thing is just mind-blowing, you know? I mean, the fact that two federal courts have already thrown out their case makes me think there was never any real intention of actually convicting them, it's all just a big show of intimidation tactics... 🤯 and what really gets my goat is how they're framing this as some kind of threat to "religious worship" or whatever nonsense they're trying to spin, when in reality it's just journalists doing their job 💼
 
🤔 I'm really not surprised by this latest move from the Trump admin, always been suspicious of their intentions with regards to the media 📰. This whole thing just feels like another example of them trying to bully journalists into submission. It's like they're trying to create a culture where people think it's okay to silence anyone who speaks out against them. But honestly, it's just not working 🚫. The fact that two federal courts have already rejected the charges against Lemon and Fort is pretty damning evidence of their own wrongdoing. I'm glad to see journalists standing up for themselves and refusing to back down in the face of intimidation 🎉. We need more people like them who are willing to speak truth to power, even if it means putting themselves at risk.
 
🤔 I'm really worried about what's happening with journalists like Don Lemon and Georgia Fort being targeted by the government. It seems like they're just trying to do their job and report on the news, but now they're being silenced. The fact that two federal courts have declined to approve their arrest is a big deal - it shows that the charges against them are pretty weak.

What's even more disturbing is that this isn't an isolated incident. There have been other reports of journalists being targeted in rural Kansas and Florida, and even a recent raid on Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson. It feels like the government is trying to create a chilling effect where no one will report on protests or demonstrations for fear of getting arrested.

I think it's time for us to stand up and support our journalists. We need to make sure that they can do their job without fear of retribution. If we self-censor, we'll just be perpetuating the problem. 📰💪
 
idk what the big deal is, can't they just do their job and not expect journalists to get all bent outta shape every time someone protests 😒...i mean come on 2 cops shot someone at a protest in philly last year no one was arresting them for reporting on it tho 🙄...and another thing, if protesters want to march near churchs that's their prerogative but newsies just follow the story not lead the march 🤷‍♂️
 
🚨 This whole situation with Don Lemon and Georgia Fort getting arrested is super fishy 🐟. I don't think there's any way they could've conspired to stop people from exercising their rights, 'specially when it comes to journalists who just wanna report on news events without causing any trouble 📰.

The fact that two federal courts already rejected the government's evidence against them and the AG is still going strong with these weak charges is crazy 😂. It feels like they're trying to send a message to all journalists out there, "Hey, we can arrest you if we want to." That's not how democracy works 🤯.

And honestly, I think this whole thing highlights the fact that no one is above the law, including journalists who are just doing their job 📰. It's time for us to stand up and fight back against these attacks on press freedom 🗣️. We can't let the government silence us with fear of retribution 🚫.

This isn't an isolated incident, it's a pattern of behavior that's getting worse by the day ⏪. We need to take a stand and report the news without fear, not self-censor and hide behind our keyboards 💻. It's time for courage, not cowardice 😊.
 
man this is getting crazy 🤯...don't even get me started on how absurd the charges are against don lemon and georgia fort lol like what even are they accused of again? conspiring to stop people from exercising their constitutional rights? that's just rich coming from an admin that's all about controlling the narrative and suppressing free speech 📰

anyway i'm actually kinda proud of these two journalists for standing up to the government and refusing to back down - it takes a lot of courage to do what they're doing, especially when you know there are consequences 😬. and honestly i think this is exactly why we need more people like don lemon and georgia fort in the media - they're not afraid to speak truth to power and hold our leaders accountable 💪

it's also super important for us to remember that no one is above the law, not even journalists reporting on protests 📰. it's not about being a hero or seeking attention, it's just doing your job and reporting the news honestly - and if you're willing to take risks for that, then more power to you 💥.
 
Man, can you believe what's going on with these journalists? I mean, I know we had our fair share of issues with fake news back in my day 📰, but this is just ridiculous. The government trying to silence the press? It's like something out of a bad sci-fi movie 😂. And Don Lemon and Georgia Fort getting arrested? That's just crazy talk! 💥

I remember when I was younger, we used to call it "fear of the man". You know, when you're too afraid to speak up because someone in power might silence you. But this is different. This is like the government trying to control what people think and believe 🤯.

And let's be real, if police were shooting at protesters and reporters weren't reporting on it? That would be a huge scandal 😬. But no, instead of holding anyone accountable, they're trying to silence the press. It's just not right.

We need to stand up for our rights and report the news without fear of retribution. It's time to take a stand and fight back against those who want to control what we can say and do 💪. We can't let them win 😡.
 
I mean come on, two federal courts said no way these journalists can be arrested? It's like they're saying the Trump admin is playing some kind of joke 😂. And Pam Bondi still going strong with this crazy law? Like, what's next? Arresting photographers who took pics of a politician's face? 📸🚫 News reporters just doing their job, covering events as they happen, not deciding where protests happen. It's so weird the Trump admin thinks they can just dictate what gets reported and what doesn't.

And don't even get me started on the whole "no one wants to be arrested" thing 🤦‍♀️. If you're doing your job right, you'll report the news, even if it's not popular. That's how we hold people in power accountable. Silencing journalists is exactly what the Trump admin is trying to do, and it's not gonna work. The media needs to step up and fight for their rights 💪.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top