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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How Employers and Labor Groups Are Trying to Protect Workers From ICE
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Racial Profiling Is ICE’s New Norm — Activists Are Mobilizing in Response
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Always Watching: How ICE’s Plan To Monitor Social Media 24/7 Threatens Privacy and Civic Participation
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Human Rights Watch: Federal Agents Use Excessive Force in Illinois
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‘I Don’t Want to Be Here Anymore’: They Tried to Self-Deport, Then Got Stranded in Trump’s America
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The More Americans See of Trump’s Immigration Crackdown, The Less They Like It
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‘Trump’s Invasion’: Illinois Officials Denounce Troop Deployment to Chicago as ICE Escalates Raids
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Sweeping ICE Raid Shakes Small New York Town as Dozens Remain ‘Disappeared’
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Where Are the Detainees? Hundreds of ‘Alligator Alcatraz’ Prisoners Disappear from ICE Database
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No Secret Police Act: CA Gov. Signs Law Against Masked ICE Agents; Feds Say They Won’t Comply
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Georgia Battery Plant Raid Spotlights Hyundai’s Horrible Labor Practices
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‘Surprising Savagery’: US Court Prohibits Attacks On Journalists Covering ICE Protests
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ICE Conducts Largest-Ever Raid at Georgia Hyundai Plant: 475 Arrested, Mostly Korean
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Trump Just Tried to Illegally Deport 600+ Guatemalan Kids on Holiday Weekend
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ICE Continues to Detain Award-Winning Journalist Who Filmed Immigration Raids
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