In St. Paul, Minnesota, dozens of protesters who disrupted a church service in January will not face state charges according to St. Paul City Attorney Irene Kao. These protesters, including former CNN journalist Don Lemon, already face federal charges for interrupting the service. Kao stated that there is insufficient evidence to meet the standards for criminal charges under Minnesota state laws.
The protest took place at Cities Church in St. Paul. It included chants of “ICE out” and “Justice for Renee Good.” Good was a mother of three who was fatally shot by an ICE agent. The protest arose after learning that one of the church’s pastors was an ICE official overseeing operations in Minnesota.
The U.S. Justice Department has filed federal civil rights charges against 39 people involved in the protest. Video evidence showed the group interrupting the church service on January 18. The demonstrators sought justice for Good in light of aggressive federal immigration enforcement.
“This decision should not be interpreted as an endorsement of unlawful behavior or public disorder,” said Attorney Irene Kao. She emphasized the importance of balancing the rights to protest and to exercise religious beliefs.
The lead pastor at Cities Church, Jonathan Parnell, criticized the decision. He expressed concern over what he sees as a precedent allowing similar disruptions at religious venues without consequences.
Despite the absence of violence or property damage during the demonstration, church attorneys argue that laws may still have been broken. Several states, including Idaho and Louisiana, have enacted laws making it a crime to disrupt religious services. However, such laws were not applicable in this Minnesota case.