Students who interrupted a speech at the University of California at Irvine by Ambassador to the U.S. Michael Oren face charges of 'disturbance of a meeting'.<
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"Eleven Muslim students have pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from the disruption of a speech by the Israeli ambassador to the United States at a California university.
The students were arrested on February 8, 2010, at the University of California, Irvine, after shouting in protest at the speech by Michael Oren on U.S.-Israeli security. The students were arraigned Friday in Orange County Superior Court on misdemeanor conspiracy to disturb a meeting and misdemeanor disturbance of a meeting.
Hecklers had interrupted Oren's lecture at University of California at Irvine, over 10 times, shouting "killers" and "how many Palestinians did you kill?" Oren took a 20 minute break after the fourth protest, only to be interrupted again by young men yelling at him every few minutes, local press reported.
Many members of the audience also applauded Oren. Oren eventually completed his speech, some time later than scheduled, but did not take questions from the audience as planned.
The University of California at Irvine case has stoked an intense debate about freedom of speech. Muslim and civil rights advocates accuse prosecutors of discriminating against students exercising their right to dissent, just as many other college-goers do without punishment."
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