US Judge Dismisses Justice Department Lawsuit Against Pro-Palestinian Supporters
A federal judge in New Jersey has dismissed a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice against several organizations and pro-Palestinian protesters who gathered outside a Jewish synagogue during a demonstration.
Al Jazeera reported that Judge Katharine Hayden ruled that the U.S. government had failed to sufficiently establish that the protesters violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act).
The lawsuit was filed in September 2025 following a protest outside a synagogue in New Jersey in November 2024.
The Justice Department had accused the protesters of intimidating people attending the event, but the court found the evidence presented by the government insufficient to support the claim.
The FACE Act, enacted in 1994, prohibits the use of force or physical obstruction to prevent access to abortion clinics or places of religious worship.
The case has been described as the first time the Justice Department used the law in a case involving a protest outside a place of worship. Previous cases under the law have mainly involved demonstrations at abortion clinics.
The 2024 protest was held against an event at a synagogue that organizers said included religious activities and a real-estate exhibition involving properties in Israeli settlements in the West Bank.
Judge Hayden dismissed the case without preventing the government from pursuing it again and gave the Justice Department 30 days to submit an amended complaint.
The decision currently prevents the Justice Department’s case from proceeding in its present form, while leaving open the possibility of a new complaint addressing the court’s concerns.
