The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act — usually called the FACE Act — is best known for protecting reproductive health clinics. Fewer people know that the same federal law protects synagogues, churches, mosques, and every other place of religious worship. For Jewish communities facing protests that spill onto the steps of a shul, it is a federal civil-rights law worth knowing.

What the FACE Act prohibits

Enacted in 1994 and codified at 18 U.S.C. § 248, the Act makes it unlawful to:

  • use force, the threat of force, or physical obstruction to intentionally injure, intimidate, or interfere with someone — or try to — because they are exercising, or seeking to exercise, their First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship; or
  • intentionally damage or destroy the property of a place of religious worship.

"Physical obstruction" means making entry to or exit from the house of worship impassable, or unreasonably difficult or hazardous. Peaceful protest and speech remain protected — the Act targets force, threats, blockades, and property damage, not viewpoints.

Who can enforce it

The FACE Act can be enforced three ways:

  • Private lawsuits by people who were harmed, such as congregants blocked from attending services.
  • Civil suits by the U.S. Attorney General or a state attorney general.
  • Federal criminal prosecution, with fines and possible imprisonment that increase for repeat offenses and for conduct causing bodily injury.

In a civil case, courts can order injunctive relief (for example, keeping protesters from blocking an entrance), compensatory and punitive damages, or statutory damages in place of actual damages, plus attorney's fees.

The FACE Act and synagogue protests

Since October 2023, Jewish congregations have seen demonstrations outside services and community events. When those protests cross the line into blocking doors, threatening worshippers, or violence, the FACE Act offers a federal remedy that does not depend on local police or prosecutors acting.

A leading example is Helmann v. CodePink, a lawsuit arising from the June 2024 violence outside Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles. The case tests whether groups that organize and promote a protest online can be held responsible under the FACE Act for what happens at the house of worship. Read the case study for the court's rulings and the filings.

If it happens at your synagogue

  • Document everything: photos, video, the social-media posts that promoted the event, and names of witnesses. See our guide chapter on documenting incidents.
  • Report it to local law enforcement and to the FBI or U.S. Attorney's office.
  • Report the incident to JCAC so we can assess whether a FACE Act claim may be available.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Every situation depends on its facts — consult an attorney about your own case.