By Jamie Shapiro

Copyright thejc

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) is set to sue a group of pro-Palestine activists who protested outside a New Jersey synagogue under a Clinton-era law designed to protect abortion clinics. The protest took place last November outside the Congregation Ohr Torah synagogue in West Orange, New Jersey, during an event selling properties in Israel and the West Bank, and led to violent clashes. In response, the DOJ’s civil rights division is filing a lawsuit against the protesters, using legislation originally created to protect women attending clinics from anti-abortion campaigners. The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act was passed in 1994 and prohibits “the use of physical force, threat of physical force, or physical obstruction to intentionally injure, intimidate, interfere with or attempt to injure, intimidate or interfere” with anyone entering reproductive health clinics. However, a secondary provision of the Act includes similar prohibitions against obstruction of people exercising their right to free religious expression at a place of worship, under the First Amendment. Harmeet Dhillon, head of the civil rights department, said: “These violent protesters meant their actions for evil, but we will use this case to bring forth good: the protection of all Americans’ religious liberty. We are excited to see this case unfold.” The DoJ also has its sights set on expanding the usage of the FACE Act to combat disruption caused by other pro-Palestine protests outside synagogues, saying: “[We] hope that other instances may also come under our scrutiny.” Wassim Kanaan, the chair of American Muslims for Palestine-New Jersey, one of the two protest groups involved, declined to comment to the New York Times. However, the paper reported that, in the past, he has said the protests, have “nothing to do with the Jewish faith” and instead are focused on “the policies of the state of Israel and its treatment of Palestinians”. If the lawsuit is successful, six protesters involved could face significant fines over more than $10,000.