i can't say whatever i want whenever i want. if someone pays a lot of money for people to hear someone special give a speech or talk, free speech doesn't mean i can interrupt and prevent such an event from occurring. there is a time and place for me to freely say whatever the heck i want about whatever the heck i feel like saying. those people should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law and accept the price of their premeditated actions. no pity for those who get exactly what they asked for.

Exaggeration and twisting the meaning of "freedom of speech" has usually worked for the other side: such as letting Nazis march in Skokie or letting Ahmadinijad speak in U.S. universities. No one thought this could work for the speaker. Indeed, the Israeli Ambassador's speech was disrupted, and his rights were taken away. To be honest,all these cases are abuses of the "Freedom of Speech" rule, but it's about time those abusing it see that two can play at this game. Freedom of Speech has been so dirtied by politics that its original intention and meaning has become lost. Such a shame. Most of us have become numbed by what is happening and nothing is credible for us anymore.

home & let those who want to learn what the speaker has to say, to do so. Moshe

This is moslim democracy at work. Better to ban all moslim groups from universities and colleges.The U.S. should start to think about deporting many of these radicals and their families. Before they become too large a problem like in eurabia.

..no need bothering asking questions later. muslims abuse their privileges in free, democratic western countries knowing full well they'd be denied the same in any one of their 57 country hell-holes.

It is Orange County. Six months to a year in a Republican Re-Education Camp with forced conversion should do the trick. That'll learn 'em.

"The district attorney's action will undoubtedly intimidate students ". Good! That's exactly what the law is for, to deter criminal activity. What's the point of having a law if there is no intention of enfroceing it? These students thought they were having a good old time, livng out their Islamist/60's fantacies. Let them live out their hate behind bars for a bit.

Enjoys the benefits of american democracy's leaks.

in a dictionary. Hint it is not when you make sure the other guy cannot express his views.

All groups that disrupt speaches? Or only when it is a Moslem group that interupts the speach of a Jew?

criticism of the prophet's teachings. NOOOooooooo..........you are dead.

Where in the past year or two have other groups besides Muslim affiliated groups disrupted speeches (you need to use a spell checker).

Wow! So these were top students who are concerened about their future. Doesnt sound like much thought process was given to their protesting actions. Zere are vays und means, ja. dumkopf. Look before you leap, think before you act. Be accountable for your actions. Have respect for others and they will respect you. Or is that againt leftist and Islamic ideology?

Remember this is California you are talking about. This sort of thing will backfire on the campus hasbara brotherhood and the ACLU will take it to the 9th Federal District Court and have the decisions overturned.

Why wait a year to charge them and the conspiracy charge is a first for this type of action in California. The other charges are more common and normally require to only pay a fine. Muslim and Hindi doctors make of a lot of the general practitioners in many US cities while most Jewish and Christian doctors focus on being medical specializes or teach or go into politics.

The issue here and in other cases is not specifically free speech. it is the differentiation between legitimate protest and disruption. No one is attempting to muzzle protests. Demonstrate, wave placards, hold speeches outside, etc., are all legitimate methods of protesting what the other side is presenting. However, when you begin to disrupt what the other side is doing peacefully, you enter a different realm which is the real attempt at muzzling others. This is an illegitimate tactic in a civilized, democratic society and, if it is prohibited by law - a civil or criminal offense that is prosecutable. Attorney Goodman's comments are wrong in that this behavior by - yes - Muslim students as been going on in California for some time already. The DA's decision to prosecute is legitimate and correct.

They lack objectivity. They lack resoanble thinking. They are disruptive and they cause trouble by bringing the backward Middle Eastern attitudes and hatred to California.

More newspeak from the radical left, upset that the prosecutor is exercising the law of the land. These Muslim students were not staging a "peaceful protest" - that would mean that they were "peaceful". Goodman should go back to grammar school and learn English. Webster defines peaceful as "untroubled by conflict, agitation, or commotion". Anybody who saw the students loudly shouting down Oren was witness to the exact opposite of "peaceful". The Muslim students were definitely in conflict, they were definitely agitating, and they were definitely creating a commotion. What a great lesson in American civics for these Muslim students, who are learning the hard way that freedom of speech means that Oren has the right to speak and be heard. The Muslim students were definitely committing a gross offense against the US constitution. If they get a criminal record and it affects their futures, that's the price they pay.

Regardless of the who the protesters are, filing criminal charges against them is uncommon and sets a dangerous precedent. While it is rude and un-courteous to interrupt someone's speech, no one should be called a criminal for it. What's next, if you don't greet your neighbors, you're going to jail !!! The prosecutor should have better things to do, like fighting real crime, instead of going after a minority group who does not have a good reputation, making it an easy target. Its a cheap shot, and is reminiscent of the good old 40's, 50's and 60's where prosecutors would throw the book at blacks and other marginalized minorities for committing minor infractions. I personally do not condone their behavior, as there are plenty of ways to express your opinion without being rude to a speaker. But i believe that had they any other ethnicity / religious background, the prosecutor would have behaved differently. and that's why i disagree with the decision.

The problem for the defense in Orange County will be finding an unbiased jury. A change of venue will be needed to even consider a trial fair. Actually, it would make an interesting case for the 9th Circuit if there is a conviction and it goes on appeal. The students were engaged in political speech and even the troglodytes on the US Supreme Court like Scalia a would be likely to rule in the students' favor. Orange County would have to pay for the appeal. They don't come cheap. Meanwhile the ACLU would do the other side for free. And Orange County would d have to use taxpayer funds to pursue an appeal. That might call for a special tax levy. Money is tight in California - almost bankrupt. This is pure politics, not a case of seeking justice. The DA is probably up for reelection. Pure Grandstanding.

in the past few years. Many Town Hall meetings on Health Care Reform. Many political campaign speeches during the recent U.S. elections. In my own town, just this week the city counsel was shouted down by a group of angry citizens opposed to a bill under consideration. Here is a link to a recent example of speech disruption in the U.S. carried out by a group of American Jews: http://www.jpost.com/Headlines/Article.aspx?id=194510

if they are such intelligent and great students- why do they do such stupid, rude things. The speaker had rights too- when will people understand what free speech means? I guess for Muslims it means they can do and say whatever they want as long as everybody else shuts up?

This is sheer nonsense. I have never heard of a person being prosecuted for interrupting a speech. They have already been sanctioned by the university and they were forcibly ejected from the meeting. Has anyone been truly harmed by their interruptions? Does the ambassador have nightmares about this? I think not.. Does this mean that in the future, anyone who interrupts a speech may be subject to prosecution and potential imprisonment? The US claims to uphold freedon to protets and freedom of speech the worl over, but cannot do so on its own soil. What a shame.

Maybe you both missed the health care town halls in the USA. People were bussed in by the "Tea Parties" to shout down the speakers. Some also came armed with semi-automatic weapons. Tea Party = Republicans, like the Orange County DA. Will he arrest and prosecute the thousands who verbally assaulted those who held town halls to discuss the health care bill? Somehow I doubt the concern for equal justice under law in his thinking. 23 Doug - Jews had little to do with the shout downs. It was Dick Armey and his crowd of thugs.

It's the fact a country bombing your relatives from the air sends its ambassador to spew the company line. The MSU protesters are supposed to politely ignore it or protest outside? When Oren decided to represent the state of Israel, he threw civility out the window. He has freedom of speech as an individual, but not as the ambassador of a state that attacks civilian targets.

One thing is freedom of speech, another is provocation and inciting to violence. The Universities should also be non-political institution to avoid this kind of incidents. The Universities should expell thouse one that are not coming to learn but to provoque

Yes this about free speech. The speaker had a right to his speech. The Muslim students tried to prevent that, and it worked, for twenty minutes he couldn't speak. It's time we stop letting the very people who hate our guts, yet come here to take the opportunity of the educational advantages, while at the same, abusing the Democratic process they profess to hate. Now they are worried it might ruin their future, good, it should. You'll only use the money to foster the hate you believe in anyway. This doesn't send a message to all school protests as the ACLU and some others have posited. It sends a message to the Muslim student groups who think they can get away with any sort of rank intimidation. The games over punks, now, it's hardball boys!! Maybe we're just tired of backing down to your constant BS.

and free speach. When will American people react to this absurdity???