At least a half-dozen immigration activists loudly interrupted a book promotion Friday by Republican Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, who took the heckling in stride, wise-cracking: "I just hope they bought the book."
"You're a hypocrite," one activist yelled, while another gave the lawmaker an angry one-finger salute as they were hustled out by campus security,
The Miami Herald reports.
"I'm the only one who gets heckled by both sides of the immigration debate," Rubio joked.
The interruption came as Rubio spoke before several hundred people at the downtown campus of Miami-Dade College as part of his nationwide tour to promote his book
"American Dreams."
The Washington Post reports at least eight young activists began yelling as Rubio started speaking.
"What about my parents?" shouted one, prompting others to join in.
The Rubio-friendly audience rallied behind the senator, however, standing up to applaud and in some cases yelling back at the protesters, the Herald reports.
"I just hope you bought the book," Rubio said as security grabbed the hecklers. "If what they wanted was a discount of the book we could have worked it out."
None were arrested.
Rubio has faced similar face-to-face criticism by critics of his immigration policy during stops in Des Moines, Iowa, and Las Vegas, the Post notes.
He was part of a bipartisan "Gang of Eight" that wrote a comprehensive immigration reform bill that was passed in the Senate in 2013 but faltered in the GOP-controlled House.
Rubio angered conservatives for aligning with Democrats on legislation considered to be amnesty for millions of undocumented immigrants.
Rubio has since distanced himself from the effort, the Post reports.
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