Hecklers of 2012: Occupy Protesters and Santorum Supporters Clash -- VIDEO

By National Journal staff

Updated: March 5, 2012 | 12:12 p.m.
February 7, 2012 | 10:15 a.m.

If there's a universal truth of presidential races, it's that candidates have to deal with hecklers. And as the gallery below demonstrates, the 2012 contest has already had plenty of them — including everything from shouters in the peanut gallery to sign-bearing protesters.

Occupy Wall Street protesters disrupted a rally for Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum in Oklahoma City for 20 minutes on Sunday by chanting, "Get your hate out of our state," and "Pro-life, pro-war, what are you fighting for?"

Santorum supporters clashed with the protesters and tried to shout them down with “We pick Rick!”

These are some of the more memorable moments of the 2012 race to date.

Click through to watch this and other moments of confrontation with hecklers on the campaign trail.

PHOTO: AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

A gay-rights activist (not pictured) throws a cup of glitter on Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney as he walks to the stage at the start of a campaign rally in Eagan, Minn., on Feb. 1, 2012.

PHOTO: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

A protester is removed from the auditorium at the University of Iowa as Newt Gingrich speaks during a discussion about brain research on Dec. 14, 2011. Click to the next slide to watch footage from the exchange.

PHOTO: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

The former House speaker was at the University of Iowa College of Public Health in Iowa City, Iowa.

PHOTO: AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

A heckler at President Obama's Los Angeles fundraiser on September 26 shouted at the president about Jesus Christ before being escorted out by security from L.A.'s House of Blues. He also called Obama "antichrist."

PHOTO: PHOTO: PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS/AP

At a fundraiser in San Francisco in April, Obama was heckled by a table of 10 people who broke into song, criticizing the treatment of Army soldier Bradley Manning, who is accused of passing top-secret material to Wikileaks. Their chorus? "We paid our dues, where's our change?"

PHOTO: PHOTO: PABLO MARTINEZ MONSIVAIS/AP

While speaking at the Iowa State Fair in August, Mitt Romney was confronted by a group affiliated with Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. They shouted questions to the former Massachusetts governor about Social Security, as well as tax rates for corporations and the wealthy. "Corporations are people, my friend," Romney responded.

PHOTO: PHOTO: CHARLIE NEIBERGALL/AP

While campaigning in a Portsmouth, N.H., restaurant in August, Texas Gov. Rick Perry faced protests from the New Hampshire Alliance for Retired Americans, who oppose his proposed changes to Medicare and Social Security.

PHOTO: PHOTO: DARREN McCOLLESTER/GETTY IMAGES

At the Republican debate held in Orlando on Sept. 22, members of the crowd booed after Stephen Hill, a gay soldier stationed in Iraq, asked the candidates if they would honor the end of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

PHOTO: PHOTO: JOHN RAOUX/AP

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., has twice been heckled for her stances on abortion and same-sex marriage during Iowa campaign events. In April, a group of students at the University of Iowa questioned her at an event on campus, and a gay rights advocate did the same in August at the Iowa State Fair.

PHOTO: PHOTO: CHARLES DHARAPAK/AP

At the Republican debate in Tampa on Sept. 12, Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, was booed by the crowd for explaining why he believes U.S. occupation had a role in causing the 9/11 attacks. "We have to be honest with ourselves," Paul said. "What would we do if another country, say China, did to us what we do to all those countries over there?"

PHOTO: PHOTO: CHRIS O'MEARA/AP