Posted by Joshua Scheer
I have reported this time and time again, and it bears repeating: where are our so-called “leaders”? As democratic norms erode in real time, we are left with fewer and fewer options. What we are witnessing is not abstract—it is a direct attack on press freedom itself.
As the former president of the Minneapolis NAACP @leslieeredmond warned during a today at a press conference,
“We are under attack. It’s not a joke. It’s not a drill.”
She asked what we should ask where are Waltz and the rest of the leadership class. They watch as the machinery of democracy grinds to a halt, clinging to elections and courts that no longer protect the people in real time. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to confront the assault on our rights—and the reality is stark: waiting for permission from the so-called leadership class is no longer an option.
"We are under attack. It's not a joke, it's not a drill."
— BreakThrough News (@BTnewsroom) January 30, 2026
Former President of the Minneapolis NAACP @leslieeredmond has a warning for the rest of the world in the wake of the arrests of Don Lemon and Georgia Fort. The journalists were arrested Thursday night and Friday morning,… pic.twitter.com/k2rgPW0c8h
That warning followed the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, who were detained Thursday night and Friday morning by federal agents. Both were covering an anti-ICE church protest in Minnesota that had taken place weeks earlier. Their arrests raise profound questions about the criminalization of journalism and the use of federal power to intimidate those documenting dissent.
As Leslie Redmond made clear, this is not just a local issue. It is a warning to the rest of the country—and the world.
She urged people not to retreat into despair: “Don’t complain—activate.” As she put it, you can lock up a revolutionary, but you cannot lock up a revolution.
Theres are plenty of great speakers to listen to in the video below
Footage and full remarks from the press conference, as well as the livestream, are available via BreakThrough News’ YouTube channel.
For more of our reporting on immigration here:
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He Went To Document An Anti-ICE Protest. He Left Without An Eye.
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Pregnant Women In ICE Detention Face Laws And Policies Shaped By Eugenics
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Lee Camp: State Violence at Home, Genocide Abroad—and a System Built to Protect Both
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Border Patrol Unleashes Violence on Protesters Over Trump’s Border Wall
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‘I Was the Test Case’: Mahmoud Khalil Decides to Stay and Fight
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After ICE Shooting, Austin Community Organizes Protests, Neighborhood Resources
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Border Agents Are Randomly Seizing Phones of US Citizens Who Support Palestine
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Clinton-Era Laws Passed 30 Years Ago Enabled Trump’s Anti-Immigrant Agenda. Here’s How We Turn the Page.
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‘Resistance Is Our Only Option’: Mahmoud Khalil Speaks
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‘ICE Is Everywhere’: Investigation Reveals More Arrests Than Ever, With Quieter Tactics
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Austin City Council Candidate Misael Ramos Arrested After Protest Against ICE Shooting
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The Movement to Abolish ICE Is Gaining Momentum
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In Danger Of Statelessness, Bhutanese Refugees Build Power Against Deportation
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Families Are Fighting Draconian No-Contact-Visit Policy at California ICE Jail
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This Back to School Season, Kids Face a New Fear: ICE Taking Their Parents
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