September 10, 2024 — FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Washington D.C. — The Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute (HLLI) filed a lawsuit yesterday concerning the April 15, 2024 blockade of the main entrance into O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, which snarled traffic for three hours and trapped innocent travelers in their cars.
HLLI’s client was among the victims. He missed his flight, spent most of his day rerouting, and then missed a work function that night at his destination. Other travelers were forced to abandon taxis and rideshares, and trudged more than a mile to the airport.
The client brings his complaint as a class action on behalf of thousands of others falsely imprisoned in their cars or otherwise displaced by the blockade. The case defends the rights of citizens unlawfully impeded by anti-Israel, pro-Hamas groups engaging in illegal acts of obstruction rather than peaceful protest. HLLI’s legal team seeks damages and a court injunction to prevent future disruptions like this.
The suit names several defendants, including:
- Jewish Voice for Peace
- The Tides Center and its Community Justice Exchange
- National Students for Justice in Palestine
- American Muslims for Palestine, AJP Education Foundation, Inc.
- WESPAC Foundation
- Dissenters
- US Campaign for Palestinian Rights
- Four individuals directly involved in orchestrating or promoting the blockade: Jinan Chehade, Superior Murphy, Simone Tucker, and Rifqa Felaneh
HLLI may name additional defendants as the lawsuit progresses.
The traffic blockade at O’Hare was part of a coordinated effort named “A15 Action,” which plotted “to identify and blockade major choke points in the economy … with the aim of causing the most economic impact.” A15 disrupted sites across the United States, including the Golden Gate Bridge, Brooklyn Bridge, and Seattle-Tacoma Airport.
These actions were reportedly part of a broader strategy promoted by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. The Biden administration’s Director of National Intelligence has warned that “Iranian government actors have sought to opportunistically take advantage of ongoing protests regarding the war in Gaza.” Americans should not tolerate such disruption.
“We support the right to protest, but a premeditated attack that injures innocents is not protected by the First Amendment,” said HLLI attorney Theodore H. Frank. “By holding the disrupters and their organizational sponsors civilly accountable, we hope to curtail foreign-sponsored and antisemitic actions that harm innocent Americans and puts them at risk.”
Affected individuals, including commuters, business owners, and emergency services, should consider contacting HLLI if they were injured by “anti-Zionist” traffic blockades on April 15 or any other date. HLLI is dedicated to advocating for those whose daily lives were disrupted by anti-Israel activists’ unlawful actions.
The name of the case is Manhart v. AJP Education Foundation, Inc. et al, No. 24-cv-8209 (N.D. Illinois).
For more information about this case, please see our complaint, our case webpage, or contact the attorney below:
Ted Frank, Director of Litigation, Senior Attorney, (703) 203-3848, ted.frank@hlli.org.
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The Hamilton Lincoln Law Institute is a public interest law firm dedicated to battling the progressive left’s agenda by defending civil liberties, countering government overreach, and fighting class action abuse.
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://hlli.org.