US Justice Department Sues Pro-Palestinian Demonstrators Over Synagogue Protest
Federal officials have taken a significant step by suing pro-Palestinian demonstrators involved in a heated protest outside a New Jersey synagogue last year, citing a law created to protect abortion clinics from obstruction and threats. The law in question is the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which was passed in 1994 to address the rising violence against abortion providers and clinics.
The civil lawsuit, filed by the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, targets two pro-Palestinian groups and several demonstrators who allegedly interfered with the civil rights of attendees at a real estate fair promoting the sale of homes in Israel and settlements in the occupied West Bank. The demonstration took place on November 13 outside Congregation Ohr Torah in West Orange, New Jersey, approximately 20 miles west of Manhattan.
Background and Context
The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act was enacted during a time when abortion clinic protests and violence against abortion providers were on the rise. The law specifically prohibits the use of force and physical obstruction to interfere with people at both reproductive health centers and houses of worship. However, under the Trump administration, the Justice Department has curtailed prosecutions against abortion clinic protesters, characterizing them as an example of the “weaponization” of law enforcement.
According to Harmeet Dhillon, who heads the US Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, this lawsuit appears to be the first time the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act has been used against protesters outside a house of worship. US Attorney General Pamela Bondi emphasized the department’s commitment to defending Jewish Americans and all Americans of faith from those who would threaten their right to worship.
Lawsuit Details and Implications
The lawsuit claims that the protesters physically assaulted worshippers and used plastic horns, known as vuvuzelas, to disrupt the event, thereby interfering with the attendees’ civil rights to exercise their religion. The lawsuit names two groups – The American Muslims for Palestine New Jersey and the Party for Socialism and Liberation in New Jersey – and three individuals. The groups did not respond to requests for comment, and telephone numbers for the individuals could not be located.
Notably, the Justice Department’s lawsuit does not include the two pro-Israel counter-protesters who were charged with aggravated assault and other offenses against pro-Palestinian demonstrators. A spokesperson for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office stated that the agency does not comment on pending prosecutions.
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