Former CNN anchor Don Lemon has been arrested in the United States for his involvement in a protest at a church, according to his lawyer and a Department of Justice official.<\/p>\n
He livestreamed a demonstration earlier this month that interrupted a service in St Paul, Minnesota.<\/p>\n
The protest centred on President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in the area.<\/p>\n
It is understood that Mr Lemon was arrested by FBI and Homeland Security Investigations agents in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
He is charged with conspiring to deprive others of their civil rights and violating the FACE Act by obstructing access to a house of worship, according to a Department of Justice official.<\/p>\n
Mr Lemon’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell, described his arrest an “unprecedented attack on the First Amendment” to the US Constitution.<\/p>\n
Mr Lemon said that he was at the demonstration as a journalist, having been tipped off ahead of time, but did not know the activists would disrupt the service.<\/p>\n
He can be seen arguing with a parishioner about immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n
Trump administration officials quickly condemned the demonstration and accused protesters of intimidating Christian worshippers.<\/p>\n
Mr Lemon spent 17 years at CNN, becoming one of its most recognisable presenters.<\/p>\n