Senator Gaston Issues Statement on Federal Civil Rights Charges Following Minnesota Church Protest

Today, state Senator Herron Keyon Gaston (D-Bridgeport), Chair of the Public Safety and Security Committee, is issuing a statement following a journalist being charged with federal rights civil crimes in connection with an anti-immigration enforcement protest in Minnesota.

“People are being arrested for exercising rights explicitly guaranteed by the United States Constitution. This is not speculation—this is happening.

“When journalists and citizens alike are detained for speaking out, including the arrest of Don Lemon, it signals a deeply troubling moment for our democracy. These are frightening times. Freedom of speech is not a privilege granted by those in power; it is the foundation of our republic.

“It is our collective voice. It is what gives the people the ability to speak freely, to dissent, and to peacefully assemble without fear of retaliation. If we allow this erosion of constitutional rights to continue, if we remain silent in the face of injustice, we are not maintaining order; we are surrendering liberty. Silence becomes consent. And consent, in this moment, empowers a dangerous expansion of executive authority.

“Unchecked, this path leads away from democracy and toward authoritarian rule. History shows us that the loss of freedom does not happen overnight, it happens when people are intimidated into compliance and convinced that resistance is futile. We cannot allow that to happen here.

“The Constitution demands vigilance. Democracy demands courage. And this moment demands that we speak—clearly, loudly, and without fear.”