CHICAGO, Ill. — Today, the Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute filed a reply brief in federal court supporting its appeal of a district court decision dismissing its lawsuit arising from the April 2024 traffic blockade of the highway into O’Hare International Airport that left drivers stranded in their cars for hours.
HLLI brought the lawsuit on behalf of drivers who were trapped in their vehicles for hours after anti-Israel activists blocked access to the airport’s primary roadway. The traffic blockade was intentional and coordinated, and organizers, which included Jewish Voice for Peace and National Students for Justice in Palestine, publicly bragged about their goal of disrupting “business as usual.”
“HLLI is committed to the rule of law and freedom of speech. Peaceful protest is protected, but deliberately shutting down a major highway and stranding drivers for hours is not free speech. Nor is it protected from civil accountability. We are confident the Seventh Circuit will give this issue careful consideration.” said Ted Frank, HLLI’s co-founder and director of litigation.
HLLI’s appeal in August, 2025 was supported by amicus briefs from 11 state attorneys general including Iowa, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and the Manhattan Institute.
The name of the case is Manhart v. National Students for Justice in Palestine, No. 25-2382 (7th Cir.).
The O’Hare blockade was not an isolated incident. Since October 7, 2023, similar anti-Israel activism disrupted transportation infrastructure including the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge in California, and access roads to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Los Angeles International Airport.
HLLI’s second lawsuit against anti-Israel traffic blockade organizers is Faoro v. Jewish Voice for Peace Inc. et al., No. 1:25-cv-00289 (D.D.C.).
For more information about this case, please see our case page or contact the attorney below:
Ted Frank, Director of Litigation and Senior Attorney
(703) 203-3848, ted.frank@hlli.org
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Every day, there are attempts to encroach upon Americans’ constitutionally protected rights. Our legal work is dedicated to countering these efforts.
The Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute is a public interest law firm dedicated to:
- Dismantling the progressive left’s attacks on civil society
- Countering government overreach
- Fighting class action abuse
- Combating NGOs engaging in civil terrorism
As a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization as defined by section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, HLLI relies on support from individuals and foundations that share a commitment to individual liberty, free enterprise, and limited government. To learn more, visit http://www.hlli.org.