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24m ago

DOJ Uses FACE Act to Sue Over New Jersey Synagogue Disruption

The civil complaint marks the law’s first application to a house of worship, signaling a broader enforcement shift.

Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon speaks at the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 7, 2025. REUTERS/Kent Nishimura/File Photo
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Justice Department Sues Over Violent Protest at New Jersey Synagogue

Overview

  • Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon announced a civil FACE Act case tied to a Nov. 13, 2024 incident at Congregation Ohr Torah in West Orange, New Jersey.
  • Protesters are accused of a coordinated effort to intimidate Jewish worshippers with antisemitic chants, blaring vuvuzelas, physical assaults, and defiance of police orders.
  • The filing names individual defendants including Altaf Sharif and Eric Kamens, with allegations that one worshipper was identified as Jewish and then placed in a chokehold.
  • The Justice Department seeks an injunction to bar further harassment while leaving open the possibility of criminal charges under the FACE Act or other laws.
  • Reporting indicates the complaint also lists the New Jersey chapters of the Party for Socialism and Liberation and American Muslims for Palestine as defendants, and Dhillon said other FACE Act investigations are active.