LONDON - British pro-Palestinian protesters slammed Israeli President Shimon Peres Tuesday evening during his remarks at Oxford University.

Outside the lecture hall, dozens of protestors carried placards and chanted "Free Palestine" and "Occupation is a crime."

Inside the hall, protesters handed out a leaflet titled "Peres is a war criminal," while hecklers disrupted Peres' speech several times.

"I am here on behalf of a million and a half residents of Gaza who are being bombed by Israel everyday," one woman shouted. "I am here in the name of 11,000 Palestinian prisoners. I am here in the name of 800,000 refugees expelled. War criminal, you should be ashamed of yourself," she said.

At one point, the audience booed, to which the protester responded, "If Hitler were here now, he would remain silent as you are silent and listen to Peres' speech."

Peres, who remained composed throughout the ordeal, responded to one of the hecklers.

"We have the right to stay alive. We don't need your permission," he said.

To another student who said he was demonstrating on behalf of the all Gazans, Peres said, "Sometimes it's not so terrible to open your eyes and ears and to keep your mouth closed for a different opportunity."

Source: YNet news