Protester Hurls Shoe At Chinese PM

CAMBRIDGE, England — A protester threw a shoe at China's Prime Minister Wen Jiabao Monday while he was giving a speech at Cambridge University, police said.

The protester seated near the back of the auditorium stood up during Wen's speech and shouted: "How can you listen to this unchallenged?" before throwing a shoe that landed some distance from the premier.

Wen looked unruffled, paused a few seconds and then continued with his remarks. One of his aides quietly stepped on the stage, picked up the gray athletic shoe and removed it.

University officials quickly escorted the protester from the auditorium. Police arrested the man on suspicion of a public order offense.

"The university is a place for discussion, debate and considered argument, not for shoe throwing," said Tim Holt, a university spokesman.

The protester was taken to a local police station for questioning, police spokeswoman Shelly Spratt said.

In a similar incident, an Iraqi reporter threw his shoes at former President George W. Bush during a news conference in Baghdad in December.

Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zeidi was scheduled to face trial in December on a charge of assaulting a foreign leader, but the court date was postponed after his attorney filed a motion to reduce the charges. He remains in custody in Baghdad.

Watch this CNN video of the speech.

Comments

[AN2009]

02:41 AM on 02/04/2009

The PRC is getting a taste of its own medicine!

[FairTalk]

05:18 PM on 02/03/2009

So, let me see if I understand this new "scandal?" China TV aired the whole thing, and now the MSM is having a problem making the evil communist government of China look bad? LOL

[nidaye]

01:42 PM on 02/03/2009

test

[LMPE]

09:52 AM on 02/03/2009

So then, who's gonna be the next leader to receive a shoe? My money's on Hosni Mubarak. Now there's a bad dude.

[windypaperboy]

09:41 AM on 02/03/2009

Gaza Holcaust photos

http://www.flickr.com/search/?s=rec&z=t&ss=2&w=all&q=gaza+holocaust+justice&m=text

[windypaperboy]

08:36 AM on 02/03/2009

Dennis Ross is the first chairman of a nevv JerusaIem based think tank, the Jevvish People Policy Planning Institute, funded and founded by the Jevvish Agency. (Source Wikipedia) How can he be a US special envoy to the Middle East?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMGuYjt6CP8&feature=channel

[Right-turn]

05:13 AM on 02/03/2009

There is a good chance that shoe was made in China.

[Demi-Crat]

10:31 AM on 02/03/2009

lol

[bubbuh]

11:26 PM on 02/02/2009

The world is experiencing an epidemic of shoefits syndrome.

[Mort]

08:54 PM on 02/02/2009

Good thing they don't do that in Holland.

[LouHobbs]

08:51 PM on 02/02/2009

Hu threw a shoe at Wen?

What?

[Mort]

09:25 PM on 02/02/2009

What's their 3rd baseman.

[bubbuh]

11:23 PM on 02/02/2009

What's on second. I don't know's at third. teehee
http://www.baseball-almanac.com/humor4.shtml

[bubbuh]

11:24 PM on 02/02/2009

giggle

Costello: I said I don't give a darn!

Abbott: Oh, that's our shortstop.

[SenecaIV]

08:48 PM on 02/02/2009

Please take any photos of this and post them in Chinese forums.

The people there don't know this happened!

We need to jeep them informed...what we think of their D!ck!

:)

[Drterryrest]

11:48 PM on 02/02/2009

already in the headline of all the leading Chinese news website.
It was live broadcasted in China.

[Amalek]

12:24 AM on 02/03/2009

Welcome to the big leagues China.

[SenecaIV]

08:43 PM on 02/02/2009

I love it. Hopefully, people from around the world would continue throwing $h!t at him where ever the Chinese dude goes!

[Mort]

08:30 PM on 02/02/2009

Good thing they don't do this in Holland. That could be considered assault with a dea dly wea pon.

[anastasiabeaverhousen]

07:39 PM on 02/02/2009

For that particular occasion, the shoe should have been made out of lead or melamine......

[spaceknife]

07:07 PM on 02/02/2009

Throwing the shoe is an original and effective way to put the money where the mouth is