The arrests of journalists Georgia Fort and Don Lemon are deeply troubling and contrary to the rights our Constitution guarantees us.

In Minnesota, we do not treat journalists like criminals for doing their jobs. No one should be arrested merely for holding a camera, asking hard questions, or telling the public what we have a right to know.

The First Amendment protects both the right of journalists to gather and report information without fear of retaliation and the right of the people to receive that information and know what their government and institutions are doing in their name.

The First Amendment is not a luxury in a democracy. It is a necessity.

When the federal government arrests reporters for documenting what is happening in our communities, it violates our rights, undermines our trust, and chills the transparency our democracy needs. It sends the message that the powerful may exercise their power in the dark, without scrutiny or accountability.

Journalists like Georgia Fort and Don Lemon, and everyone who is documenting the surge, serve the public by bearing witness and ensuring that all of us have access to the truth. Any punishment or intimidation of journalists or the public for gathering the news and showing us what is happening demands the closest scrutiny from our institutions and from the people.

Make no mistake: these arrests are a continuation of the attacks on our constitutional rights we’ve witnessed since the beginning of Operation Metro Surge, many of which our free press and the public have documented. Arresting the storytellers does not change the story: this dangerous, unlawful, and unconstitutional surge must end. 

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