A Swedish artist who angered Muslims by depicting the Prophet Muhammad as a dog was assaulted May 11 as furious protesters interrupted his university lecture about the limits of free speech.

Lars Vilks AP PHOTO

A video clip of the incident by a Swedish newspaper showed police using pepper spray and batons to hold off an angry crowd shouting "God is great" in Arabic after Lars Vilks was escorted out of the lecture hall at Uppsala University, about 70 km north of Stockholm.

A man and a woman were detained on suspicion of violence against police while another man was held for disturbing public order. All were under 20 years old.

Vilks has faced numerous threats over his controversial drawing of Muhammad with a dog's body, but the incident in Uppsala was the first physical assault directed against him.

Earlier this year, U.S. investigators said Vilks was the target of an alleged murder plot involving Colleen LaRose, an American woman who dubbed herself "Jihad Jane," and who now faces life in prison. She has pleaded not guilty.

AP