Protester hits Levin in face with pie

BIG RAPIDS, Mich., Aug. 17 (UPI) -- The campaign trail can be a rough road -- just ask U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., who got a pie in the face during a campaign stop in Big Rapids, Mich.

Witnesses at Pepper's Cafe and Deli said that as Levin urged the audience of Mecosta County Democrats to let Max Kantar of Big Rapids have his say on Levin's stance on foreign policy and defense of Israel, Ahlam Mohsen sneaked up to the senator and smushed an apple pie into his face, the Detroit Free Press reported Tuesday.

While the pair hustled out of the cafe, Levin joked about the incident, Tiffany Kelley, a deli employee, said.

"He made jokes about it and said it wasn't the first time he'd been pied in the face," Kelley said. "He said he prefers blueberry."

Big Rapids police said Mohsen, 22, a senior at Michigan State University, was arrested and charged with assault and disorderly conduct.

Moshen was quoted as saying, "We wanted to target Levin today to send a message that liberals and Democrats are just as implicated in the violence (of war) as the Republicans."

Levin hung around after the incident, answering questions from deli customers.

Levin later said in a statement he supports free speech and the First Amendment but the pie protesters took advantage of what was meant to be a peaceful gathering, the Michigan State University State News reported.

"I hold meetings like this morning's so I can hear the views of Michiganians, and I'm more than willing to hear from people who disagree with me," Levin said. "They didn't hurt me, but they hurt their cause even more than their own extreme words had already done."