(Reuters) - A U.S. Supreme Court oral argument was disrupted on Wednesday by a rare outburst from a protester who assailed a 2010 ruling on campaign finance.

The man interrupted proceedings in the patent case by shouting slogans like "Money is not speech," "Corporations are not people" and "Overturn Citizens United."

The man, identified as Noah Newkirk of Los Angeles, California, was protesting the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling which cleared the way for increased independent corporate and union spending during federal elections.

Police officers removed Newkirk after a brief scuffle. He has been charged with violating a law that prohibits "loud threatening or abusive language" in the Supreme Court building, a court spokeswoman said.