Avi told the Committee that, “This is a commonsense piece of legislation that ensures the First Amendment rights of members of any faith community to have free access to their house of worship. It also ensures the First Amendment right for those who want to protest. It does not prevent protesters from declaring, for example, as they did outside of Park East Synagogue – we have to make them afraid – and it does not prevent them from proudly expressing support for Hamas as they did in Kew Gardens Hills Queens, though of course such speech is abhorrent. It would not prevent anyone from chanting Islamophobic, anti-Christian, anti-Hindu statements outside of a mosque, Church, or Temple, though of course such statements are also abhorrent. Rather, by applying reasonable, content-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions, this legislation helps maintain order and is rooted in law that has long been constitutionally upheld. It also protects the rights of all New Yorkers to worship freely while preserving the right of everyone to protest freely.”