Don Lemon's arrest prompts Jane Fonda and LGBTQ+ rights group to rally for press freedom

Updated: Journalist Don Lemon arrested by federal agents after his coverage of Minneapolis protests

By midafternoon Friday, the plaza outside a federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles was expected to fill with advocates, activists, and public figures, summoned not by a campaign launch or a court victory, but by a growing fear that something elemental about living in a free society is slipping.

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At 1:30 p.m. Pacific, the Human Rights Campaign, Stand Up for America, and local organizers rallied outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and United States Courthouse in support of journalist Don Lemon, who was arrested earlier Thursday evening by federal agents after reporting on a protest in Minnesota.

Jane Fonda holds a "protect the freedom of the press" sign outside the federal courthouse in Los Angeles after the Department of Justice charged journalist Don Lemon for reporting on protests in Minnesota.Courtesty Human Rights Campaign

Lemon’s arrest, alongside that of Minnesota journalist Georgia Fort, has sent shockwaves through press freedom and civil rights communities, raising urgent questions about the government’s treatment of journalists covering protests and other matters of public concern. Both reporters were engaged in newsgathering related to demonstrations over recent federal actions in Minneapolis when they were taken into custody.

Outside the courthouse, actress and longtime activist Jane Fonda addressed reporters, saying she was there representing the Committee for the First Amendment, a coalition of roughly 3,000 entertainment-industry members mobilized to defend constitutional rights.

“The arrest of Don Lemon doing his journalistic duty is one page more out of an authoritarian playbook,” Fonda said. “Enough is enough. We have to fight to protect our rights."

Jane Fonda alongside Human Rights Campaign members at the federal courthouse in Los Angeles.DRM News/YouTube

Calling Lemon “a professional journalist,” Fonda said he and his producer were “doing their job, nothing more, nothing less,” and warned that attempts to discredit him after the arrest followed a familiar pattern. “They’ll make up all kinds of defamatory things to say about him,” she said. “That’s what autocrats do. We can’t fall for it. We cannot be silent."

At one point, Fonda emphasized the moment’s symbolism with a pointed aside. “They arrested the wrong Don,” she said.

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Jonathan Lovitz, senior vice president for campaigns and communications at HRC, said the organization moved quickly after learning of the arrests, viewing them as part of a broader, increasingly aggressive posture toward independent journalism.

“HRC is doing what we do best. We hear about an injustice, and we show up,” Lovitz said in an interview with The Advocate.

Members of the media set up outside the Edward R. Roybal federal building and courthouse after federal agents arrested journalist and former CNN anchor Don Lemon on January 30, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.Mario Tama/Getty Images

The Los Angeles rally, he said, is being organized through HRC’s local network and partner groups, with high-profile allies stepping in as word spread.

“This is indeed what fascism looks like,” Lovitz said, calling freedom of the press “the cornerstone of our society.” The arrest of Lemon, he added, carries particular weight because of who he is — one of the most prominent journalists in America, and someone who for years has been a frequent target of political criticism and ridicule.

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“Don Lemon is one of our own,” Lovitz said. “What is happening to him is happening to far too many people across this country who are standing up, telling the truth, and speaking truth to power.

The reporting that led to Lemon’s arrest centered on protests tied to the killings of Renee Goode, a queer mother of three, and Alex Pretti, a VA ICU nurse. The U.S. citizens were fatally shot by federal agents in Minneapolis this month. While the Justice Department has announced a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s killing, it has not opened a similar inquiry into Goode’s death. That disparity has intensified outrage and sharpened scrutiny of federal decision-making.

The protest that triggered the federal investigation erupted on January 18 at Cities Church, where demonstrators objected to immigration enforcement actions and raised demands for justice after deadly encounters between federal agents and civilians. Lemon livestreamed portions of the protest and interviewed protesters and congregants; Fort documented the same.

The Justice Department’s handling of the case, including the arrests and the timing of charges, has drawn sharp rebukes from press freedom organizations, civil rights groups, and Democratic lawmakers, who warn that detaining journalists for on-the-ground reporting imperils core First Amendment protections.

Lovitz said HRC is calling for full, independent investigations in both cases and supports requests from Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for outside reviews. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanch said earlier on Friday that the Justice Department had opened a civil rights investigation into Pretti’s shooting. Goode’s killing is not receiving the same attention.

Goode, Lovitz said, deserves accountability and dignity, not silence or erasure.

“She deserves nothing less than a full accounting of what happened and for justice to be served,” he said.

Beyond the rally, HRC is preparing to launch an online petition urging Congress to intervene, calling on lawmakers to hold Attorney General Pam Bondi and the administration accountable for what Lovitz described as a dangerous overreach.

“Journalists are our voice, especially for people who are afraid to speak out right now,” he said. “They can be in spaces that we are not permitted to be in. The chilling effect of this is real, but we’re going to melt that chill with the power of people showing up.”