Video- LA students on trial for protesting Zionist Israeli amb. speech

Opening statements have begun in the trial of the Muslim students who disrupted a speech by the Zionist Israeli ambassador at the University of California, Irvine.

The students — known as the Irvine 11 — are accused of repeatedly interrupting Michael Oren when he spoke on campus in February 2010.

The Orange Country District Attorney argues the students violated Oren’s right to free speech by delaying his comments by 20 minutes.

But supporters of the Irvine 11 say the students were practicing their first amendment rights and should not be criminalized for protesting.

Since the arrests, the students and the school’s Muslim Student Union chapter have been disciplined by university officials.

Supporters say that’s where the punishment should have ended. Instead, this group of peace organizations says the D.A. pursued charges because of political motivations.

The group says the case is a prime example of selective prosecution and that the students are being punished because the Israeli ambassador was involved.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations of Los Angeles says this case has dealt a significant blow to Muslim-American students on college campuses across the country.

CAIR says it prevents the students from feeling like they are fully accepted and allowed to participate in public events.

The students from UC Irvine and UC Riverside are on trial for misdemeanor charges of conspiring to disturb a meeting and disturbing a meeting. If convicted, they face up to six months in jail.

The Irvine 11 trial is scheduled to last several weeks with closing arguments expected by September 23rd.