Allegations of Muslim Student Union disrupting pro‑Israel speaker and resulting DA misdemeanor charges

4.2.12 WC: 191694 “The Muslim Student Union orchestrated a concerted effort to disrupt the speech. One student after another stood and shouted so that the ambassador could not be heard. Each student was taken away only to be replaced by another doing the same thing.” Chemerinsky understates what happened, as anyone can see by watching a video of the event, available online (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7w96UR79TBw). This was more than a "concerted effort to disrupt the speech." It was a concerted effort to stop it completely -- to censor Oren's right to speak and his audience's right to hear him. The efforts to disrupt succeeded; the effort to stop ultimately failed. Moreover, there is undisputed evidence that there was a well- planned conspiracy to censor Oren's talk. The students were disciplined by the university for their actions, though the nature and degree of the discipline has been kept confidential. Campus sources have characterized it as a "slap on the wrist." Since the students had to be arrested to prevent the speech from being drowned out, the District Attorney, quite understandably, commenced a criminal investigation. After learning of the careful planning that went into the concerted effort to prevent Oren from speaking, the DA filed misdemeanor charges against those who were involved. This decision resulted in an outcry by radicals, many of whom favor censorship of pro-Israel speakers. In a letter to the DA signed by many well-known anti-Israel zealots, as well as by the two leaders of the local ACLU, the incident was described as merely a protest: “the students non-violently and verbally protested a university-invited speaker. The students left the event peacefully ....”*° Then, in an effort to blame the victims, the letter pointed the finger at pro-Israel students who wanted to listen to Oren speak claiming -- quite falsely -- that the Muslim Student Union censors "conducted themselves in less of a disruptive manner than some of the counter-protestors..." Sounds as if the Muslim Student Union deserved a civil liberties award, while the students who came to listen to the invited speaker—“the counter-protestors”—deserve to be condemned. Ina more recent letter the ACLU leaders claim that “the students’ intent was not to censor the speaker...” The students themselves have been more honest about their intentions than the ACLU leaders. . For instance, one student leader refused to acknowledge that Mr. Oren had First Amendment rights of his own by interrupting him and shouting, “Propagating murder is not an expression of free speech!” (Shades of Bruce Franklin!) Another student was caught on video telling a crowd assembled outside the event that “we pretty much shut them down”. The fact that radical anti-Israel zealots would support censorship of a pro-Israel speaker comes as no surprise. But the fact that the letter of support was signed by two ACLU leaders should shock all civil libertarians and supporters of the ACLU. I have been a supporter of the ACLU for half a century and was a national board member. In addition to supporting the right of Nazis to march through Skokie, I have defended the right of the most virulent anti-Israel speakers to participate ” http://www. baitcal.com/UCIMuslimStudentUnion.html 136 HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_017223