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5 defendants in Cities Church anti-ICE protest appear in court
Five defendants of nearly 40 people charged in an anti-ICE protest at Cities Church appeared in court on Wednesday. All five entered not guilty pleas. FOX 9's Courtney Godrey has more.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Police say they arrested a woman for "interference with religious observance" during a protest outside of Cities Church in St. Paul on Easter Sunday.
Protester arrested for church protest in St. Paul
What we know:
St. Paul police say its officers were working contracted overtime at Cities Church when a group of protesters gathered outside the church during Easter services around 8:35 a.m.
Protesters were "using a blow-horn and yelling loudly, disrupting the church services," according to police.
Officers say they then warned protesters to stop or face citations and possible arrests, and the majority of them complied.
One woman, according to police, did not comply and was arrested for "interference with religious observance" and St. Paul City Ordinances 293.02 and 293.07.
Minnesota statutes list interference with religious observance as a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor.
What we don't know:
The woman's identity has not been shared.
Cities Church protest in January leads to federal charges
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Cities Church anti-ICE protesters in court Friday: What to expect
Journalist Don Lemon and several others are set to appear in federal court on Friday, facing charges related to an anti-ICE protest at Cities Church in St. Paul nearly a month ago. Lemon and other people arrested in connection to the protest will be arraigned on Friday. They are scheduled to make their first appearance at 1 p.m., court records show.
The backstory:
A group of protesters disrupted church services on Jan. 18, demanding Pastor David Easterwood resign over his work as the acting director of the ICE field office in St. Paul.
READ MORE: Cities Church protest: 5 defendants plead not guilty to charges
Video showed protesters chanting and bringing the service to a halt.
Federal prosecutors then brought charges against seven of the demonstrators, including organizer Nekima Levy-Armstrong and St. Paul School Board Member Chauntyll Louisa Allen, and two journalists who entered the church covering the protest, former CNN anchor Don Lemon and Twin Cities independent reporter Georgia Fort.
Another 30 people were indicted in connection to the protest in late February.
Charges against a photojournalist covering the protest were dropped.
The Source: This story uses information from the St. Paul Police Department and previous FOX 9 reporting.