Should Don Lemon’s Participation in a Church Invasion Be Prosecuted Under the Ku Klux Klan Act?

We live in an age of lawlessness. Lawlessness creates violence, and violence has arguably produced the vicious claims and contentions of Chanda Petrey-Czaruk, a nurse and the Vice President of @HomeFirstChoice in Ohio. She vents her anger at the current Administration by expressing her hope that White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s pregnancy results in childbirth that is so tragically difficult and traumatic that it necessitates reconstructive surgery.

Against this backdrop of violent rhetoric, on January 18, 2026, Don Lemon, Nekina Levy Armstrong, and a group of raucous protestors interrupted services at the Cities Church in Minneapolis. Ms. Armstrong and two other protestors have already been arrested for their participation in the protest, while a Magistrate judge has rejected charges against Mr. Lemon. Still, the question remains whether Don Lemon, an alleged journalist, should face criminal charges as well.

Purportedly enraged by anti-ICE sentiments and driven by pro-illegal sentiments that have turned dangerous, the disruption at Cities Church drew Left-wing activists who sought to provoke federal authorities into an overreaction. Properly understood, the worshippers are pawns in the Left’s inflammatory strategy designed to ignite an already volatile situation.

Impelled by incendiary rhetoric and objectives, it seems clear that Left-wing activists are pursuing a strategy designed to provoke anarchy and disorder. At the same time, rational observers should note that the constitutional rights of churches are at stake. After all, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution explicitly states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

In addition, Don Lemon and the protestors must confront the reality that their misbehavior may subject them to charges under the Freedom of Access to Clinical Entrances Act (FACE), which is designed to protect access to abortion clinics but also protects churches as well. In addition, the protestors face the possibility of charges arising under the Ku Klux Klan Act, which makes it illegal to terrorize and violate the civil rights of citizens in violation of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.

As a historical matter, former Confederates fashioned the KKK as a self-defense organization. They commenced an extensive campaign of provocation, terror, and lawlessness designed to disenfranchise and deprive black Americans of their constitutional rights. Provoked by Klan activities that were at least as disruptive as the pro-immigrant activities of the protestors at Cities Church in Minneapolis, the KKK Act was designed to enforce the Constitution, curb violence, and protect black Americans from a group of racists, who became one of the leading groups that supported and built the Democrat party in the United States.

Designed to prevent the deprivation of rights, privileges, and immunities secured by the Constitution, the modern version of the KKK Act, 42 U. S. C. §1983, serves today as a means to vindicate essential rights against state and local actors. The law acts as a vehicle to reduce oppression that saw the KKK reach the apex of its power at the 1924 Democratic Party convention’s Klanbake.

Although no evidence can be offered that successfully compares Don Lemon’s activities to a Klanbake, he is not shy about demonstrating his moral superiority. He compares storming the church to Jesus Christ, “overturning the tables in the temple.”

In addition, during a podcast earlier this week, Don Lemon implied that the outraged congregants were “white supremacists.” Nonetheless, it is far from clear that Christians should be prepared to agree with Lemon’s understanding of scripture, his alleged capacity to interpret or enforce the tenets of the Christian faith, or his capacity to articulate and understand who is acting like a white supremacist.

Indeed, it seems likely that Don Lemon’s invocation of Christianity as a defense to storming the church, and his participation in disruptive activities, is irredeemably incomprehensible if not reprehensible. As a consequence, it seems likely that Don Lemon ought to face scrutiny by the United States Justice Department for engaging in conduct that may violate the FACE Act and the Ku Klux Klan Act, irrespective of whether evidence can be adduced suggesting he was motivated by deep-seated racial animus. 

After all is said and done, the constitutional rights of Christians to worship are at stake in America’s increasingly lawless age.