Pro-Palestinian group sued under FACE Act for synagogue riot

Prosecutors filed a federal lawsuit under the FACE Act on Monday, accusing advocacy groups and private citizens of targeting and intimidating Jewish congregants at a New Jersey synagogue. Chapters of the National Party for Socialism and Liberation, along with American Muslims for Palestine, mounted a protest that turned violent outside a rabbi’s memorial service in November 2024, according to the Department of Justice. Federal prosecutors alleged that both advocacy groups had a history of organizing and participating in violent demonstrations against Jewish groups.

The defendants are presumed legally innocent until proven guilty in court. As of noon Tuesday, neither of the protesters’ two parent organizations had addressed the lawsuit’s claims on their social media channels.

Protesters intentionally used threats of force, intimidation, and violence to interrupt the free exercise of congregants of the Ohr Torah synagogue in West Orange, N.J., about 20 minutes outside of Newark, according to federal authorities. No American should be harassed or targeted for peacefully practicing their religion, Attorney General Pam Bondi said. This lawsuit underscored the DOJ’s commitment to defending Jewish Americans’ right to worship, she added. The FACE Act prohibits blocking entrance to houses of worship, abortion centers, pregnancy centers, or other facilities offering so-called reproductive services. The Biden administration notably used the federal statute to prosecute pro-life activists.

What exactly happened, allegedly? Ohr Torah congregants planned to hold a religious event in November 2024 honoring the life of the late Rabbi Avi Goldberg. The memorial included a time of prayer with Biblical verses and a Torah sermon and prayerful dancing, according to the court filing. The event also included educational activities about the religious obligation to live in Israel, a real estate fair, and a festive barbecue in the synagogue’s parking lot.

Congregant Moche Glick contacted local law enforcement with concerns over worshipper safety after American Muslims for Palestine and National Party for Socialism and Liberation members planned to protest at the event. Group members sent a threatening letter to Glick’s private home near the synagogue days before the planned event, the court filing noted.

About 50 protesters gathered near Glick’s home on the day of the synagogue’s event, wearing masks and carrying thin, long horns. The horns, known as vuvuzelas, are capable of causing noise-induced hearing loss because of their volume and are commonly banned from sporting events due to their ability to be weaponized, according to the court filing.

The protesters marched to the synagogue after gathering outside Glick’s home, and gathered behind a preemptive defensive line formed by law enforcement outside the synagogue grounds. Police told protesters to turn back or cross the street, but protesters refused, according to court documents. The group evolved into a mob and broke the police line, causing officers to scatter, the filing alleged. Protesters spread across the synagogue’s lawn and disrupted the service with shouting and horns—a scene captured on video.

Court documents alleged that two protesters specifically targeted Glick and assaulted him with a vuvuzela, while another protester started charging towards Glick. A fellow worshipper, David Silberberg, came to Glick’s defense by pepper-spraying the charging protester. The pepper-sprayed protester fell back, but started attacking Silberberg after regaining his composure. The protester grabbed the 65-year-old man with both hands and put him in a neck hold, according to court documents. The protester dragged Silberberg down a hill toward the synagogue’s parking lot, with several other protesters following behind, prosecutors alleged. Several other worshippers, including Glick, chased after and got Silberberg out of the chokehold by hitting the offending protester on the head with a flashlight. The filing included images of the attack taken from bystander video footage.

How does the FACE Act apply in a non-abortion case? The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, or the FACE Act, is a Clinton-era statute that makes it a federal offense to block or hinder access to what the law considers reproductive services, which include abortion procedures. While the measure was commonly weaponized against peaceful pro-life protesters, the statute also provides the same accessibility protections to pro-life clinics and synagogues. Federal prosecutors argue that the New Jersey protesters can be federally charged under the act since they hindered Jewish congregants from worshipping.

Dig deeper: Read my previous report on Republican legislators pushing to repeal the FACE Act earlier this year.