The Justice Department has sued pro-Palestinian demonstrators in New Jersey under the FACE Act, escalating tensions over protests at religious sites.
The U.S. Justice Department has filed a civil lawsuit against two advocacy groups and six individuals accused of disrupting worshippers at a New Jersey synagogue during a pro-Palestinian protest last year. The case marks the first time the government has applied the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act) to a demonstration outside a house of worship.
The protest, held in November 2024 outside Congregation Ohr Torah in West Orange, targeted a real estate fair linked to property sales in Israel and the West Bank. Clashes erupted between demonstrators and pro-Israel counterprotesters, leaving at least one person hospitalized. While local prosecutors charged two pro-Israel demonstrators with assault, the federal lawsuit focuses on the Palestinian activists.
Civil Rights Division head Harmeet Dhillon said the suit aims to protect religious liberty, noting, “These violent protesters meant their actions for evil, but we will use this case to bring forth good.” Defendants argue the protest was political, not religious.
The lawsuit seeks fines and restrictions on future demonstrations near houses of worship, intensifying debate over free speech and civil rights enforcement.