LOS ANGELES (AP) — Journalist Don Lemon was released from custody Friday after he was arrested and hit with federal civil rights charges over his coverage of an anti-immigration enforcement protest that disrupted a service at a Minnesota church.

The First Amendment protects protesters, but Florida laws put limits for situations when tensions escalate. Here's how.

Government has a responsibility to ensure that people can exercise their constitutional rights without fear of retaliation.

The veteran journalist is charged with conspiracy and interfering with the First Amendment rights of worshipers during a Jan. 18 protest at the Cities Church in St. Paul, where a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement official serves as a pastor. Another journalist and two protest participants were also arrested in Minnesota.

Legally speaking, the federal charges against journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort are complex and unusual, sparking debate among lawyers about the legitimacy of the cases.

Don Lemon was arrested for his presence at a a protest in Minnesota, where he was covering the demonstration for his online news show.

How societies tolerate dissent directed at the state is key to "distinguishing a free nation from a police state."

Former CNN journalist Don Lemon was arrested and indicted for civil rights crimes in connection with anti-ICE protesters that disrupted church service in Minnesota.

Practicing a questionable kind of journalism that blurs lines between activist and reporter, Lemon's First Amendment rights are harder to defend. From David Mastio:

A federal trial found that Tullahoma City Schools violated a former student's First Amendment rights after he was suspended for memes in 2022.

Journalist Don Lemon faces federal conspiracy charges after a Jan. 18 protest at a St. Paul church where an ICE official served as a pastor.