The United States of America is in an unprecedented period in which the laws set forth in the Constitution are not being followed by the very authority that enforces it. Journalist Georgia Fort was filmed speaking after the Minnesota protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, discussing advocacy for other journalists.
What’s terrifying about this particular situation is that both Fort and esteemed journalist Don Lemon were arrested while covering the protest concerning a pastor’s involvement in ICE. Allegedly, the agents were at Fort’s home on Friday morning at around 6:30 am to detain her, to which her lawyer suggested she agree.
The video above was posted to the Law subreddit on Reddit, showing Georgia Fort speaking to a group of people as she discusses the strangeness of what is happening to her fellow reporters. You can see that these individuals are likely other journalists, each with a microphone or camera in hand to document everything.
You can hear Fort asking the crowd, “Do we still have a Constitution?… Amplifying the truth. Documenting what is happening in our community is not a crime… The questions that were asked… those questions still need to be answered. As a journalist, I am committed to continuing the story until [they] are answered.” Considering the varying degrees of infringement on the First Amendment, which grants freedom of the press. Because she was arrested in connection with a video she recorded as part of her work as a journalist, she feels that her rights were both violated and denied to her.
According to the post, Fort was arrested on a charge under the FACE Act. In a comment posted by the original poster, “The Department of Justice (DOJ) indicted Fort and others under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. While often associated with reproductive health, this federal law also prohibits using force, threats, or physical obstruction to interfere with people exercising their right to religious freedom at a place of worship.“
Prestigious Journalist Reportedly Arrested and Had First Amendment Rights Violated
Other commenters rushed into the replies to share their opinions on the events, with one of the top comments saying, “If they are wiping their [redacted] with the constitution, then dissolve the union…“
According to the very same post, “Fort has pleaded not guilty to the charges and was released on bond after a judge rejected the DOJ’s request to keep her in custody.” Hopefully, she can continue the fight against taking journalists’ voices away, especially after this has just been done to her.
