New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a law on Tuesday that allows police to establish 50-foot protest-free security perimeters outside houses of worship and criminalizes interference with access to them. The measure creates a misdemeanor charge for anyone who blocks entry to a house of worship or acts in a way that causes worshippers to fear for their safety.

The law applies statewide to all houses of worship, including mosques, synagogues, churches, and other religious institutions. "Every New Yorker should be able to enter their house of worship and practice their religion without fear," said Governor Kathy Hochul.

Hochul signed the law after a series of protests outside synagogues hosting real estate events promoting emigration to Israel and the Israeli-occupied West Bank. During one demonstration outside a synagogue in Queens, activists chanted pro-Hamas remarks. Other demonstrations have devolved into clashes between pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian groups. Some Jewish leaders have called the demonstrations antisemitic.

Pro-Palestinian groups have argued that the real estate events are part of a yearslong campaign to drive Arabs out of Israel and the land it controls. They maintain that the events facilitate the growth of Jewish settlements in territories considered occupied under international law.

Critics of the new law say it infringes on free speech rights. "This law risks chilling activism at a time when the voices of New Yorkers are more needed than ever, which will be a gift to the Trump administration," said Donna Lieberman, executive director of the New York Civil Liberties Union. She added, "This effort to trade away New Yorkers’ rights was needless and reflects the worst kind of governance."

The U.S. Supreme Court in 2014 struck down a 35-foot protest-free zone outside abortion clinics in Massachusetts, declaring it unconstitutional.