Some protesters in the VIP section of the Old Main lawn Wednesday said they were attacked when they chanted and held up anti-Bush signs during the president's speech.

Eight people filed harassment charges separately with University Police Services, said Craig Waldo, political co-director of the Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Student Alliance.

Police said they are investigating harassment charges filed by a group of people after the speech, but were unwilling to identify the group or the individuals who filed the charges.

Waldo and other people protesting President Bush in front of the podium began chanting anti-Bush slogans about five minutes into his speech, said Shannon Coulter, a member of Womyn's Concerns who filed charges. She said the protesters were immediately "pressed by a wave of people" who shoved and shouted insults at them.

Coulter said a man grabbed her by the neck from behind and proceeded to punch her in the back, below her ribs.

The incident ended when some Secret Service agents came and helped her, Coulter said.

Agents stepped in and protected the group, Waldo said, adding, "If it wasn't for them, I'm sure there would have been more violence."

Another person in Coulter's group took a photo of her attacker, Coulter said.

Some of the people protesting near Coulter were holding up gay rights signs, she said, adding that people began shouting anti-gay remarks at her group, such as "fags go, lesbians stay."

"They were yelling 'kill the fags . . . dikes,' " Waldo said.

Erin O'Leary (senior-speech communication), former co-director of Womyn's Concerns and Neena Philip (senior-speech communication and psychology) said their signs were grabbed and ripped up by other audience members.

"They physically overtook us," O'Leary said.

There were about 13 people in the group, which was partly made up of LGBSA members and alumni, Waldo said.

The protesters joined hands and stood in a circle to avoid further violence, O'Leary said.

"I'm still very surprised that it would happen on this campus," Coulter said.

Collegian Staff Writer Scott Andron contributed to this report.