Don Lemon appears on ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ to talk about arrest

LOS ANGELES (NBC, KYMA) - Journalist Don Lemon is speaking publicly about his arrest in connection to a Minneapolis protest.

The former CNN anchor appeared on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" Monday night.

Lemon was arrested by federal authorities Thursday night. The arrest stems from an anti-ICE protest at a Minneapolis church Lemon says he was reporting on as an independent journalist.

"I'm in the middle of this. I can't say a lot. There's a lot that I cannot say. But what I will say is that I'm not a protester. I went there to do to be a journalist. I went there to chronicle and document and record what was happening. I was following that one group around, and so that's what I did. I did. I reported on them and so, but I do think that there is a difference between a protester and a journalist."

Don Lemon

Lemon told Kimmel Monday night that he offered to turn himself in, but he was instead detained by federal agents in order to "embarrass" him.

"They want to embarrass you, they want to intimidate you, they want to instill fear. And so that's why they did it that way," Lemon expressed.

Lemon faces charges of conspiracy against the rights of religious freedom at a place of worship and injuring, intimidating and interfering with the exercise of the right of religious freedom at a place of worship.

A lawyer for Lemon has said he plans to plead not guilty, and his next court appearance is scheduled for February 9 in Minneapolis.

To watch Kimmel's interview with Lemon, click here.