Shoeing - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Shoeing, throwing shoes, showing the sole of one's shoe or using shoes to insult

Insult

An insult is an expression, statement which is considered degrading and offensive. Insults may be intentional or accidental...

are forms of protest in many parts of the world.
Incidents where shoes were thrown at political figures have taken place in Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

, Hong Kong

Hong Kong

Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

, Pakistan

Pakistan

Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...

, the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

and most notably, the Arab world

Arab world

The Arab world refers to Arabic-speaking states, territories and populations in North Africa, Western Asia and elsewhere.The standard definition of the Arab world comprises the 22 states and territories of the Arab League stretching from the Atlantic Ocean in the west to the Arabian Sea in the...

.

Posters of George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

's face have long appeared through the Middle East

Middle East

The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...

with shoes attached to them, and some people have called former Secretary of State

Secretary of State

Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....

Condoleezza Rice

Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...

Kundara, meaning "shoe". Shoeing received attention after Muntadhar al-Zaidi

Muntadhar al-Zaidi

Muntadhar al-Zaidi is an Iraqi broadcast journalist who served as a correspondent for Iraqi-owned, Egyptian-based Al-Bagh. , al-Zaidi works with a Lebanese TV channel....

threw his shoes at then U.S. President George Bush in a December 14, 2008 press conference in Baghdad, Iraq. Since the al-Zaidi incident, copycat

Copycat crimes

A copycat crime is a criminal act that is modelled or inspired by a previous crime that has been reported in the media or described in fiction.-Copycat effect:...

incidents in Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, North America

North America

North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...

, India

India

, Hong Kong

Hong Kong

, Iran

Iran

Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...

, Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

and Australia

Australia

have been reported.

Context

Shoes are considered dirty

Dirty

Dirty is the seventh album by the American alternative rock group Sonic Youth, originally released on July 21, 1992 by DGC Records. It was deemed best album of 1992 by Entertainment Weekly.-Recording:...

in the Arab World

Arab world

. Matthew Cassel of The Electronic Intifada in the context of the "Bush shoeing" incident has expressed the opinion that the Western media overplayed the phenomenon as being "Arab" in particular.

Notable incidents

On December 17, 2008, Queens resident and Amtrak employee Stephen Millies, a protestor at a meeting of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of New York City (MTA), tried to throw his shoe at the CEO of the MTA with the statement, "This shoe is for you!" Millies managed to shake off his left shoe before being stopped and detained by MTA Police.

On December 20, 2008, protesters in Montreal and Toronto threw shoes at posters of George Bush in front of their respective U.S. consulates to support Muntadhar al-Zaidi, to demand his immediate release, and to celebrate his gesture. The shoe tosses took place in −24°C weather during protests against the U.S. military occupations of Iraq and Afghanistan, and against Canada's involvement in the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan. At the shoe toss event in Toronto, Ahmed Habib, a refugee from Baghdad, said "We don't think of Muntadhar al-Zaidi as a criminal but, in fact, we think of him as a hero. The only war criminal is George Bush and his buddy Stephen Harper, so shame on the both of them."

On December 20, 2008, Ukrainian reporter Ihor Dmitriv pelted a Ukrainian politician with a shoe when he became angered by the politician's sexist remarks. Speaking in NATO accession, Oleh Soskin, said NATO membership was more favored by the Ukrainian women as they were "the more intelligent" part of the body politic. Dmitriv said his attack was motivated by the Ukrainian leadership's "craziness" and said "a shoe is going to become a leading means (for common people) to influence their leaders."

The anti-war

Opposition to the Iraq War

Significant opposition to the Iraq War occurred worldwide, both before and during the initial 2003 invasion of Iraq by the United States, United Kingdom, and smaller contingents from other nations, and throughout the subsequent occupation...

group Code Pink

Code Pink

Code Pink: Women for Peace is an anti-war group that is mainly composed of women. It has regional offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Washington, D.C., and many more chapters in the U.S. as well as several in other countries...

pelted shoes at an effigy of U.S. president George W. Bush outside the White House

White House

The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...

on December 17, 2008. Protesters presented their shoes at U.S. Embassies around the world to show their support for al-Zaidi.

On January 12, 2009, Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva , known popularly as Lula, served as the 35th President of Brazil from 2003 to 2010.A founding member of the Workers' Party , he ran for President three times unsuccessfully, first in the 1989 election. Lula achieved victory in the 2002 election, and was inaugurated as...

made fun of the incident and "threatened" to throw his shoes at reporters when visiting Couromoda 2009, a shoes event held in São Paulo.

On January 20, 2009 protesters in the United States shoed an inflatable replica of George W. Bush in replication of al-Zaidi's shoe-throwing incident.

On February 2, 2009, a German protester threw his shoe at Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao

Wen Jiabao

Wen Jiabao is the sixth and current Premier and Party secretary of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, serving as China's head of government and leading its cabinet. In his capacity as Premier, Wen is regarded as the leading figure behind China's economic policy...

as he gave a speech at Cambridge University. The shoe landed on stage a few feet from the premier and the protester was quickly hustled away by security guards.

On February 5, 2009, Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

i Ambassador to Sweden

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

Benny Dagan

Benny Dagan is an Israeli diplomat, currently serving as Ambassador of Israel to Sweden, a position he has held since 2008, prior to which he was the Deputy Head of the Center for Policy Research at the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Head of the Middle East Affairs Bureau of the Center...

was hit by a protester's shoe while speaking about the 2009 Gaza War, the shoe throwers reportedly chanted murderer!" and "intifada

Intifada

Intifada is an Arabic word which literally means "shaking off", though it is usually translated into English as "uprising" or "resistance" or "rebellion". , not to be confused with the Arabic plural ...

!".

On March 17, 2009, Canadian protesters in Calgary used shoes as props during their demonstrations, even going so far as to create a "shoe cannon".

The incident has also inspired several online shoe-throwing games, and on the Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman
Late Show with David Letterman is a U.S. late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and is produced by Letterman's production company, Worldwide Pants Incorporated. The show's music director and band-leader of the house band, the CBS Orchestra, is...

, the "Great Moments in Presidential Speeches" segment included flying shoes aimed at other presidents (via digitally-altered stock footage).

On 7 April 2009, Union Home Minister of India

India

P. Chidambaram

P. Chidambaram or Chidambaram Palaniappan, sometimes written Palaniappan Chidambaram is an Indian politician with the Indian National Congress and present Union Minister of Home Affairs of the Republic of India. Previously he was the Finance Minister of India from May 2004 to November 2008...

was shoed by Jarnail Singh, a Sikh

Sikh

A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...

journalist during a press conference in Delhi

Delhi

Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...

. Singh, who works at the Hindi

Hindi

Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...

daily Dainik Jagaran was dissatisfied with Chidamabaram's answer to a question on the Central Bureau of Investigation

Central Bureau of Investigation

The Central Bureau of Investigation is a government agency of India that serves as a criminal investigation body, national security agency and intelligence agency. It was established on 1 April 1963 and evolved from the Special Police Establishment founded in 1941...

's (CBI) clean chit to Congress

Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Bharatiya Janata Party. It is the largest and one of the oldest democratic political parties in the world. The party's modern liberal platform is largely considered center-left in the Indian...

leader Jagdish Tytler

Jagdish Tytler

Jagdish Tytler is a controversial Indian National Congress politician, and former member of Indian Parliament...

on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots

1984 anti-Sikh riots

The 1984 Anti-Sikh pogroms / riots or the 1984 Sikh Massacre was a sikh genocide there was four days of violence in northern India, particularly Delhi, during which armed mobs killed Sikhs, looted and set fire to Sikh homes, businesses and schools, and attacked gurdwaras, in response to the...

.

On 16 April 2009, Indian Leader of Opposition and Prime Ministerial candidate of National Democratic Alliance

National Democratic Alliance (India)

The National Democratic Alliance is a centre-right coalition of political parties in India. At the time of its formation in 1998, it was led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and had thirteen constituent parties. Its convenor is Sharad Yadav, and its honorary chairman is former prime minister Atal...

, L K Advani was shoed by his own party member, Pawas Agarwal, a former district vice-president of Bharatiya Janata Party

Bharatiya Janata Party

The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...

(BJP) Katni Town in Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....

.

On 8 October 2009, a shoe was hurled at Clifford D. May by a student named Muhammad Hussain who is also the class representative of his class at Karachi University I.R. Dept. Pakistan.

On 23 October 2009, supporters of Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad threw their shoes at opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi

Mehdi Karroubi

Mehdi Karroubi is an influential Iranian reformist politician, democracy activist, mojtahed, and chairman of the National Trust Party. He was Chairman of the parliament from 1989 to 1992 and 2000 to 2004, and a presidential candidate in the 2005 and 2009 presidential elections.He is a founding...

as he visited Tehran during the 2009 Iranian election protests

2009 Iranian election protests

Protests following the 2009 Iranian presidential election against the disputed victory of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and in support of opposition candidates Mir-Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi occurred in major cities in Iran and around the world starting June 13, 2009...

. A fight broke out between supporters of Ahmadinejad and Karroubi and one of the Ahmadinejad supporters threw a shoe at him, which hit him in the face and resulted in his turban falling off.

In December 2009, al-Zaidi was himself ironically shoed by another Iraqi journalist in Paris, who accused him of "working for dictatorship in Iraq". The incident occurred while al-Zaidi was speaking about his experiences during the Bush shoeing and its aftermath.

In February 2010, a 26-year old Kurd with Syrian citizenship tried to shoe Turkish

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has been Prime Minister of Turkey since 2003 and is chairman of the ruling Justice and Development Party , which holds a majority of the seats in the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. Erdoğan served as Mayor of Istanbul from 1994 to 1998. He graduated in 1981 from Marmara...

in Sevilla, the shoes however missed Erdogan. While throwing the shoes the man called "long live free Kurdistan".

On 7 August 2010, Shamim Khan Threw a shoe at the President Of Pakistan in his address to Pakistani community in Birmingham UK. Shamim Khan said that he threw the show on him because Pakistan is fighting with the worst flood and its aftermath in 80 Years and He (Mr. Zardari) being president of Pakistan has been enjoying a trip in Europe since last week. Mr Shamim Khan is being treated as National Hero in Pakistan due to ongoing hatred against Zardari in Pakistan.
The NBC series Kings imitated the shoe throwing incident in the episode The New King (Part 2).

On 6 June 2011, an attempt was made by a journalist identified as Sunil Kumar, a scribe from Nav Sanchar Patrika of Rajasthan to hurl a shoe at Indian National Congress general secretary Janardan Dwivedi after apparently upset with the way Congress handled using tear gas at peaceful demonstrations in Delhi on the night of 4 June 2011 against corruption.

At George W. Bush

On December 14, 2008, during a press conference at the Prime Minister's Palace in Baghdad, Iraq, journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi

Muntadhar al-Zaidi

Muntadhar al-Zaidi is an Iraqi broadcast journalist who served as a correspondent for Iraqi-owned, Egyptian-based Al-Bagh. , al-Zaidi works with a Lebanese TV channel....

threw his shoes at United States President George W. Bush. "This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people

Iraqi people

The Iraqi people or Mesopotamian people are natives or inhabitants of the country of Iraq, known since antiquity as Mesopotamia , with a large diaspora throughout the Arab World, Europe, the Americas, and...

, you dog", yelled al-Zaidi in Arabic as he threw his first shoe towards the U.S. president. "This is for the widows and orphans and all those killed in Iraq", he shouted as he threw his second shoe. President Bush ducked twice, avoiding being hit by the shoes. Al-Zaidi was then pulled to the floor by another journalist, before being grabbed by Prime Minister Maliki's

Nouri al-Maliki

Nouri Kamil Mohammed Hasan al-Maliki , also known as Jawad al-Maliki or Abu Esraa, is the Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party. Al-Maliki and his government succeeded the Iraqi Transitional Government. He is currently in his second term as Prime Minister...

guards, kicked, and rushed out of the room. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino

Dana Perino

Dana Maria Perino is an American political commentator for Fox News. She served as the White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush from September 14, 2007 to January 20, 2009...

was hit in the face by a microphone boom sent flying by a presidential bodyguard resulting in a clearly visible black eye.

Some Iraqi reporters present at the scene offered apologies to President Bush. "Thanks for apologizing on behalf of the Iraqi people. It doesn't bother me", Bush joked: "If you want the facts, it's a size 10 shoe that he threw." When asked about the incident by another reporter, Bush said "It's a way for people to draw attention. I don't know what the guy's cause was. I didn't feel the least bit threatened by it." When later asked to reflect on the incident, Bush said "I didn't have much time to reflect on anything, I was ducking and dodging." "I'm not angry with the system. I believe that a free society is emerging, and a free society is necessary for our own security and peace", he added. "I don't think that you can take one guy throwing his shoe as representative of the people of Iraq", argued White House Press Secretary Dana Perino.

The Turkish company that made the shoes thrown at Bush, Ramazan Baydan, experienced a surge in sales. Orders for 300,000 pairs were received in just 1 week.

On 1 December 2009, Muntadhar al-Zaidi

Muntadhar al-Zaidi

Muntadhar al-Zaidi is an Iraqi broadcast journalist who served as a correspondent for Iraqi-owned, Egyptian-based Al-Bagh. , al-Zaidi works with a Lebanese TV channel....

, who first shoed Bush

George W. Bush

, got shoed himself in Paris

Paris

Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

by an exiled Iraqi journalist . Zaidi later said "He stole my technique."

At Arbab Ghulam Rahim

On April 7, 2008, Arbab Ghulam Rahim

Arbab Ghulam Rahim

Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim remained the Chief Minister of the Government of Sindh during 2004-2007.He was born on 15 September 1957.He belongs to District Tharparkar in the province of Sindh, Pakistan...

former Chief Minister of Sindh, Pakistan was leaving the Sindh assembly building from back door after taking oath as newly elected member, was hit by shoe on his face by Agha Javed Pathan

Agha Javed Pathan

Agha Javed Pathan , a political activist from Sindh, Pakistan, presently practicing as a doctor in Karachi, was accused of shoe throwing on Arbab Ghulam Rahim in April 2008...

, a worker from Pakistan Peoples Party

Pakistan Peoples Party

The Pakistan Peoples Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Pakistan affiliated with Socialist International. Pakistan People's Party is the largest political party of Pakistan...

At Wen Jiabao

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao

Wen Jiabao

was in London on February 2, 2009 speaking with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown

Gordon Brown

James Gordon Brown is a British Labour Party politician who was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and Leader of the Labour Party from 2007 until 2010. He previously served as Chancellor of the Exchequer in the Labour Government from 1997 to 2007...

about economic cooperation and trade relations between China

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

and the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

. That day Wen was scheduled to give the Rede Lecture

Rede Lecture

The Sir Robert Rede's Lecturer is an annual appointment to give a public lecture, the Sir Robert Rede's Lecture at the University of Cambridge. It is named for Sir Robert Rede, who was Chief Justice of the Common Pleas in the sixteenth century.-Initial series:The initial series of lectures ranges...

at the University of Cambridge

University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...

entitled, "See China in the Light of Her Development". As Wen came to the end of his lecture, a man, later identified as a 27-year-old German national Martin Jahnke, stood from the audience, blew a whistle and shouted, "How can the university prostitute itself with this dictator here? How can you listen to these lies he's telling?" Jahnke then threw his shoe at Wen, although the shoe landed a few feet away. Fellow members of the audience shouted at Jahnke, "Shame on you", as he was escorted out of the auditorium.

Jahnke was promptly removed from the lecture by university proctor

Proctor

Proctor, a variant of the word procurator, is a person who takes charge of, or acts for, another. The word proctor is frequently used to describe someone who oversees an exam or dormitory.The title is used in England in three principal senses:...

s and then arrested by police on suspicion of breach of the peace

Breach of the peace

Breach of the peace is a legal term used in constitutional law in English-speaking countries, and in a wider public order sense in Britain.-Constitutional law:...

and attempted assault

Assault

In law, assault is a crime causing a victim to fear violence. The term is often confused with battery, which involves physical contact. The specific meaning of assault varies between countries, but can refer to an act that causes another to apprehend immediate and personal violence, or in the more...

. After the shoe was thrown, Premier Wen commented, "this despicable behaviour cannot stand in the way of friendship between China

China

and the UK." University Vice-Chancellor Alison Richard

Alison Richard

Dame Alison Fettes Richard, DBE, DL was the 344th Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. She was the first female Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge since the post became full-time...

commented, "I deeply regret that a single member of the audience this afternoon failed to show the respect for our speaker that is customary at Cambridge. This university is a place for considered argument and debate

Debate

Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...

, not for shoe-throwing."

Premier Wen urged leniency for the German student. "Education is best for a young student, and I hope he will have the opportunity to continue his education. The return of a prodigal is worth more than gold", said the message from Wen, posted on the Foreign Ministry website.

A district judge later concluded there was insufficient evidence to prove that Jahnke's behavior had caused harassment, alarm or distress to the Chinese leader or anyone else in the lecture theater. Human rights campaigners cheered him as he left Cambridge Magistrates' Court.

"I didn't want to hit the premier personally. I thought just placing the shoe on the stage would be universally understood. What it was meant to be was a symbolic protest. I didn't intend to hurt people."

During his trial Jahnke's lawyers alleged that his prosecution was being pushed forward under pressure from the Chinese government, and that there had been political interference in the trial, though this accusation was dismissed by the trial judge due to lack of evidence.

At Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

On March 6, 2009, independent Iranian news sites reported that during a trip to the city of Urmia

Urmia

- Demographics :According to official census of 2006, the population of Urmia is about 871,204.- Language :The population of Urmia is mainly Azerbaijani people, with Kurdish, Assyrian Christian, and Armenian minorities...

, someone threw a shoe at the motorcade of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. People had become angry after the president's convoy hit an elderly man but did not stop. A shoe had previously been thrown at Ahmadinejad at Amir Kabir University

Amirkabir University of Technology

Amirkabir University of Technology , formerly called the Tehran Polytechnic is a public research university located in Tehran, Iran. AUT is one of the most prestigious universities and the first established technical university in Iran...

in 2006.

At Dominique Strauss-Kahn

A student threw a shoe at the director of the International Monetary Fund

International Monetary Fund

The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...

, Dominique Strauss-Kahn

Dominique Strauss-Kahn

Dominique Gaston André Strauss-Kahn , often referred to in the media, and by himself, as DSK, is a French economist, lawyer, politician, and member of the French Socialist Party...

, as he addressed a university in Istanbul

Istanbul

Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...

, Turkey

Turkey

Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...

on October 1, 2009. The shoe did not hit Strauss-Khan but landed on the stage. The student, Selçuk Özbek, from the left-wing newspaper BirGün

BirGün

BirGün is an Istanbul-based Turkish left-wing daily.The paper was founded in 2004 by a group of Turkish intellectuals. The most important point of the newspaper is that it doesn't have any owners....

, was taken away by security as he shouted "IMF get out!". A female protestor was also escorted from the hall, while others shouted "Go away IMF, you're stealing money."

At executives of Fortis

In April 2009 some shareholders in Fortis

Fortis (finance)

Fortis N.V./S.A. was a company active in insurance, banking and investment management. In 2007 it was the 20th largest business in the world by revenue but after encountering severe problems in the financial crisis of 2008, most of the company was sold in parts, with only insurance activities...

bank threw their shoes at executives in opposition to the decision to sell part of the bank to BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas

BNP Paribas S.A. is a global banking group, headquartered in Paris, with its second global headquarters in London. In October 2010 BNP Paribas was ranked by Bloomberg and Forbes as the largest bank and largest company in the world by assets with over $3.1 trillion. It was formed through the merger...

At Clifford D. May

In October 2009, a shoe was hurled at Clifford D. May by a student named Muhammad Hussain who is also the class representative of his class at Karachi University I.R. Dept. Pakistan. Muhammad Hussain has committed suicide on Saturday September 10, 2011 by jumping from fifth floor of his apartment.

At Gordana Čomić

November 2009, a shoe was hurled at Gordana Čomić, Vice-President

President of the National Assembly of Serbia

The President of the National Assembly of Serbia is the speaker of the parliament of Serbia...

of the National Assembly of Serbia

National Assembly of Serbia

The National Assembly of Serbia is the unicameral parliament of Serbia. It is composed of 250 proportionally elected deputies elected in general elections by secret ballot, on 4 years term. The National Assembly elects the President of the National Assembly who presides over the sessions...

by a Serbian Radical Party

Serbian Radical Party

The Serbian Radical Party is a far-right Serbian nationalist political party in Serbia, founded in 1991. Currently the second-largest party in the Serbian National Assembly, it has branches in three of the nations that currently border Serbia – all former federal republics of Yugoslavia...

MP Gordana Pop-Lazić.

At Silvan Shalom

On 6 December 2009, Students for Palestine

Students for Palestine

Students for Palestine is a network of pro-Palestinian student activists based on various Australian university campuses. The group was set up in response to the 2008–2009 Israel–Gaza conflict...

protesters threw shoes at Victoria Police

Victoria Police

Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia. , the Victoria Police has over 12,190 sworn members, along with over 400 recruits, reservists and Protective Service Officers, and over 2,900 civilian staff across 393 police stations.-Early history:The Victoria Police...

during a protest of visiting Israeli Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom

Silvan Shalom

' , born 4 October 1958) is an Israeli politician, member of the Knesset for Likud and the country's Vice Prime Minister and Minister for Regional Development. He previously served as the country's Foreign Minister and Finance Minister.-Biography:...

in Melbourne

Melbourne

Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...

. Police used pepper spray

Pepper spray

Pepper spray, also known as OC spray , OC gas, and capsicum spray, is a lachrymatory agent that is used in riot control, crowd control and personal self-defense, including defense against dogs and bears...

against the protesters of which three were hospitalized.

Election-related shoeings in India

The sensation surrounding the shoeing of George W. Bush seems to have inspired a number of copycat incidents in India

India

, where a general election

Indian general election, 2009

India held general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha in five phases between 16 April 2009 and 13 May 2009. With an electorate of 714 million , it was the largest democratic election in the world to date.By constitutional requirement, elections to the Lok Sabha must be...

was held from 16 April to 13 May 2009. Several Indian politicians of note were targeted during the very heated election season, including Prime Minister

Prime Minister of India

The Prime Minister of India , as addressed to in the Constitution of India — Prime Minister for the Union, is the chief of government, head of the Council of Ministers and the leader of the majority party in parliament...

Manmohan Singh

Manmohan Singh is the 13th and current Prime Minister of India. He is the only Prime Minister since Jawaharlal Nehru to return to power after completing a full five-year term. A Sikh, he is the first non-Hindu to occupy the office. Singh is also the 7th Prime Minister belonging to the Indian...

At P. Chidambaram

India's Home Minister P. Chidambaram

P. Chidambaram

was shoed on April 7, 2009 by Jarnail Singh, a Sikh

Sikh

journalist who works at the Hindi

Hindi

daily Dainik Jagaran. Chidamabaram was asked a question by Jarnail Singh on the Central Bureau of Investigation

Central Bureau of Investigation

's (CBI) clean chit to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler

Jagdish Tytler

Jagdish Tytler is a controversial Indian National Congress politician, and former member of Indian Parliament...

on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots

1984 anti-Sikh riots

. He said that CBI was not under the home ministry, and no ministry of the government had put any pressure on the CBI. He said that "It is for the court to accept or reject or ask for further investigation by CBI. Let us wait for the court decision". When Jarnail Singh persisted with his questions, Chidambaram told him "no arguments, you are using this forum...". Following this the journalist lobbed his shoe saying 'I protest'. Thrown underhand with little force, the shoe narrowly missed hitting Chidambaram. (there is a view that it was never intended to hurt him anyways) The action caused a flutter in the hall.

Chidambaram responded to the situation in a composed manner and even said that the journalist should be removed from the press conference hall gently. Chidambaram appealed to the reporters, "let not the action of one emotional person hijack the entire press conference. I have answered his questions to the best of my ability."

After the incident, Jarnail Singh said that he was sorry for the method of protest he adopted, but issue is right. He added that he felt upset that the government had not done justice in the anti-Sikh riots. Singh also appealed to journalists and others not to repeat his actions. Asked if he could have used some other manner to protest..."For the last 25 years this has been happening. So what other method is left (to protest)", Jarnail Singh said.

Jarnail Singh was let off without any charges on the insistence of Chidambaram. The whole incident set off a major media feeding frenzy with 24x7 TV coverage and snowballed into a major election issue which embarrassed Congress politically. The police said that no complaint was lodged with them, and Chidambaram said that the journalist should be forgiven. A few Sikh bodies came out in Singh's support and even offered rewards. The shoe throwing incident also sparked off widespread protests by Sikhs against the CBI which had given a clean chit to Tytler.

After the shoe throwing incident, Congress

Indian National Congress

calculated politically that all the media controversy created could make it lose many seats especially in Punjab

Punjab (India)

Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...

. Fearing further controversy, Congress dropped both Tytler and Sajjan Kumar as congress candidates from Lok Sabha 2009 elections.

At Manmohan Singh

During an election rally, Indian Prime Minister

Prime Minister of India

Manmohan Singh

came under a shoe attack in Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad

Ahmedabad also known as Karnavati is the largest city in Gujarat, India. It is the former capital of Gujarat and is also the judicial capital of Gujarat as the Gujarat High Court has its seat in Ahmedabad...

on April 26, 2009. A 28-year-old man made an attempt to throw a shoe at the Prime Minister while he was addressing the rally. The shoe landed a few meters away from Dr Singh. Soon after the incident took place, the young shoe thrower was taken away by the police. Dr Singh asked the police not to file any charges. The incident was condemned by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party

Bharatiya Janata Party

and was called an "unestablished way of protesting against democracy."

At B. S. Yeddyurappa

On 28 April 2009, a chappal was hurled at Karnataka

Karnataka

Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...

Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa at a Bharatiya Janata Party

Bharatiya Janata Party

rally for the ongoing elections

Indian general election, 2009

in the town of Channarayapatna

Channarayapatna

Channarayapatna is a town in Hassan district in Karnataka, India. It is an administrative headquarters of a taluk of the same name. It is located on the Mangalore–Bangalore National highway 48 in India. It lies at a distance of 148 km from Bangalore and 37 km from the district...

, Hassan district

Hassan district

Hassan is a district in Karnataka state, India. The district headquarters are Hassan.Hassan district was the seat of the Hoysala Empire which at its peak ruled large parts of south India from Belur as its early capital and Halebidu as its later capital during the period 1000 - 1334 CE...

. The slipper landed far from the dais, but the man who tossed it was arrested and charged with assault

Assault

. The Karnataka State Police report that the man who threw the slipper, a vagabond

Vagabond (person)

A vagabond is a drifter and an itinerant wanderer who roams wherever they please, following the whim of the moment. Vagabonds may lack residence, a job, and even citizenship....

named Chandrashekar, appeared to be drunk at the time.

At Naveen Jindal

In April 2009, a schoolteacher hurled a slipper at Indian National Congress

Indian National Congress

Lok Sabha

The Lok Sabha or House of the People is the lower house of the Parliament of India. Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by direct election under universal adult suffrage. As of 2009, there have been fifteen Lok Sabhas elected by the people of India...

candidate Naveen Jindal

Naveen Jindal

Naveen Jindal is an Indian politician and Member of Parliament from the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha constituency in the northern Indian state of Haryana. He is the Chairman and Managing Director of Jindal Steel and Power Limited, which is part of the $15 billion diversified O.P...

At Lal Krishna Advani

In April 2009, BJP worker Pavas Agrawal hurled a slipper at BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani

Lal Krishna Advani

Lal Kishanchand Advani known as Lal Krishna Advani is a Veteran Indian politician. A former president of the Bharatiya Janata Party , which is currently the major opposition party in the Indian Parliament. He also served as a Deputy Prime Minister of India from 2002 to 2004...

. Agrawal was arrested for interrogation.

At Hayley Williams

During a Paramore

Paramore

Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, and guitarist Taylor York...

concert at The O2 in Dublin, Ireland

Ireland

Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

, someone threw a shoe at Paramore's lead singer Hayley Williams

Hayley Williams

Hayley Nichole Williams is an American singer, songwriter, and the lead vocalist of the band Paramore.- Life and career :...

At Omar al-Bashir

During a public meeting, a man threw a shoe at Sudan

Sudan

Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...

ese President Omar al-Bashir

Omar al-Bashir

Lieutenant General Omar Hassan Ahmad Al-Bashir is the current President of Sudan and the head of the National Congress Party. He came to power in 1989 when he, as a brigadier in the Sudanese army, led a group of officers in a bloodless military coup that ousted the government of Prime Minister...

in the Friendship Hall in Khartoum

Khartoum

Khartoum is the capital and largest city of Sudan and of Khartoum State. It is located at the confluence of the White Nile flowing north from Lake Victoria, and the Blue Nile flowing west from Ethiopia. The location where the two Niles meet is known as "al-Mogran"...

, which missed. The man was later detained by security forces, while the President's office denied the incident took place and said the man was arrested as he attempted to pass a letter to al-Bashir. Witnesses described the man, whose reasons for throwing the shoe were unclear, was calm as he was detained.

At Dorit Beinisch

During a hearing on medical marijuana on 27 January 2010, 52-year-old Pinchas Cohen hurled his sneaker at President of the Supreme Court

Supreme Court of Israel

The Supreme Court is at the head of the court system and highest judicial instance in Israel. The Supreme Court sits in Jerusalem.The area of its jurisdiction is all of Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. A ruling of the Supreme Court is binding upon every court, other than the Supreme...

of Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

Dorit Beinisch

Dorit Beinisch is the president of the Supreme Court of Israel. She was appointed to the position on September 14, 2006, after the retirement of Aharon Barak. She is the first woman to serve as president of the Supreme Court.-Biography:...

. The shoe struck Justice Beinisch between the eyes, breaking her glasses and knocking her off her chair. Cohen, disgruntled over a family court decision four years prior, was arrested for the act. He later apologized to Justice Beinisch.

At Henry Tang

On March 6, 2010 Henry Tang

Henry Tang

Henry Tang Ying-yen, GBM, GBS, JP was the Chief Secretary for Administration of Hong Kong until his resignation in September 2011. He is a candidate in the Hong Kong Chief Executive election of 2012, and believed to be preferred by Beijing....

, Chief Secretary for Administration

Chief Secretary for Administration

The Chief Secretary for Administration , commonly known as Chief Secretary and abbreviated as CS, is the second highest position of the Hong Kong Government...

in Hong Kong

Hong Kong

, attended a youth summit in Chai Wan

Chai Wan

Chai Wan , formerly mistakenly known as Sai Wan , lies at the east end of the urban area of Hong Kong Island next to Shau Kei Wan. The area is administratively part of the Eastern District, and is a mosaic of industrial and residential areas...

organized by the Home Affairs Bureau

Home Affairs Bureau

Home Affairs Bureau is one of the policy bureaux of the Hong Kong Government.One of the important roles of the Home Affairs Bureau is to enhance liaison and communication with all sectors of the community including the Legislative Council and the general public.Tsang Tak-sing has been the...

. A 31 year old jobless man threw a shoe at Tang and it landed on the stage meters away from him. The man was dragged away by police. The man was unemployed after getting fired by a computer company, and the government policies were not helping him. He said he was not a "post-80s" teen, but supported the highspeed rail protest connecting HK to Guangdong

Opposition to the Guangzhou-Hong Kong Express Rail Link

Opposition to the Guangzhou-Hong Kong Express Rail Link , is a movement and period of civil discontent in Hong Kong between mid 2009 and early 2010...

. Before the summit, about 30 people from several youth groups gathered outside the building to wave banners and said the forum was a fake consultation and that young people's opinions were neglected. As soon as Tang left the building, protesters tried to block his passage and demanded to speak to him. One protester laid on the road in front of Tang's car, and had to be forcibly removed by the police. A protester said that the topics discussed in the summit are not those that any young person would be interested in.

At Asif Ali Zardari

On August 7, 2010 Pakistan's president Asif Ali Zardari

Asif Ali Zardari

Asif Ali Zardari is the 11th and current President of Pakistan and the Co-Chairman of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party . He is also the widower of Benazir Bhutto, who served two nonconsecutive terms as Prime Minister....

was targeted by a man who hurled a pair of shoes at him during his visit to Birmingham

Birmingham

Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...

, England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

. The 50-year-old man was wrestled down by security guards after he threw two shoes and shouted ‘killer’ as Zardari spoke during a political rally at the International Convention Centre

International Convention Centre, Birmingham

The International Convention Centre is a major conference venue in central Birmingham, England. The centre includes Symphony Hall and it faces Centenary Square. The building has another entrance leading to the canals of Birmingham. The Convention Quarter area, which includes Brindleyplace, is...

in the city.
The shoes did not hit the president, who did not respond to the attack. The man who targeted Zardari was believed to be a Pakistani national from Derby

Derby

Derby , is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands region of England. It lies upon the banks of the River Derwent and is located in the south of the ceremonial county of Derbyshire. In the 2001 census, the population of the city was 233,700, whilst that of the Derby Urban Area was 229,407...

who was sat in the front row at the rally. He was dressed in a traditional Shalwar kameez

Shalwar kameez

Shalwar kameez — or salwar kameez or shalwar qameez — is a traditional dress worn by both women and men in South Asia and Central Asia. Shalwar or salwar are loose pajama-like trousers. The legs are wide at the top, and narrow at the ankle. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic...

. Following the incident he was led away by police, questioned and later released without charge.

At Omar Abdullah

On August 15, 2010 a police officer hurled his brown leather shoe at Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...

chief minister Omar Abdullah

Omar Abdullah

Omar Abdullah , born 10 March 1970 in United Kingdom, is an Indian Kashmiri politician and the scion of Kashmir's 'first family', the Abdullah family who became the 11th and the youngest Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir after forming a government in coalition with the Congress party, on...

. The chief minister was about to address a gathering organised on India's 64th Independence Day

Independence Day

An Independence Day is an annual event commemorating the anniversary of a nation's assumption of independent statehood, usually after ceasing to be a colony or part of another nation or state, and more rarely after the end of a military occupation...

. The officer, identified as assistant sub-inspector of police, Abdul Ahad Jan later waived black flag shouting pro-freedom slogans against the Indian rule in the disputed territory. Abdullah's security men deported the officer out of the function venue.

At Tony Blair

On September 4, 2010, former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair

Tony Blair

Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...

had one egg and shoes thrown at him at a signing for his book, A Journey
A Journey
A Journey is a memoir written by Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom between 1997 and 2007. Published on 1 September 2010, it is an account of how he became leader of the Labour Party in 1994 and transformed the party into "New Labour"; the party held power for a record three...

, outside Eason's

Eason & Son

Eason & Son is a group involved in the wholesale, distribution and retail of books, newspapers, magazines, stationery and cards on the island of Ireland ....

in Dublin.

At George Papandreou

On September 11, 2010, a shoe was tossed against Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou

George Papandreou

Georgios A. Papandreou , commonly anglicised to George and shortened to Γιώργος in Greek, is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece following his party's victory in the 2009 legislative election...

, while he was inaugurating the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair. Stergios Prapavesis, a 50-year old radiologist

Radiology

Radiology is a medical specialty that employs the use of imaging to both diagnose and treat disease visualized within the human body. Radiologists use an array of imaging technologies to diagnose or treat diseases...

and militant of the Patriotic Front (PAM), tossed the shoe shouting "You are not a patriot, you are a traitor", referring to the decision of the Greek government under Papandreou to accept IMF

International Monetary Fund

, ECB

European Central Bank

The European Central Bank is the institution of the European Union that administers the monetary policy of the 17 EU Eurozone member states. It is thus one of the world's most important central banks. The bank was established by the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1998, and is headquartered in Frankfurt,...

and EU

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

austerity measures. The shoe missed him for inches while Prapavesis, along with his 15-year-old daughter and farmer Stavros Vitalis, who was with the pair at the time, was apprehended. On its website, the group "calls upon the Greek people to express their displeasure by throwing their old shoes along the Prime Minister's journey from the airport to the Thessaloniki International Fair." Prapavesis described the shoe-throwing incident as "a political act against the government's austerity policies" and warned that "many more will follow."

At John Howard

On 4 November 2009, John Howard

John Howard

John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....

, the former Prime Minister of Australia

Prime Minister of Australia

The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...

, was delivering a speech about leadership in the new century at Cambridge University when an Australian student called him a racist before taking off his boot and throwing it in his direction.

On 25 October 2010, two shoes were thrown at Howard by an audience member, Peter Gray

Pete Gray (activist)

Peter Robert Gray was an Australian environmental activist, notable for two "landmark" court cases, and for having thrown his shoes in public at former Prime Minister of Australia John Howard in protest over Australia's participation in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.He was described in an obituary in...

, live on the ABC Television

ABC Television

ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956. As a public broadcasting broadcaster, the ABC provides four non-commercial channels within Australia, and a partially advertising-funded satellite channel overseas....

program Q&A while he was defending his decision to commit Australian troops to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Gray, 30, died of bowel cancer on 30 April 2011.

At Pervez Musharraf

On 6 February 2011, a man hurled shoe at Pervez Musharraf

Pervez Musharraf

Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...

, the former Military

Military

A military is an organization authorized by its greater society to use lethal force, usually including use of weapons, in defending its country by combating actual or perceived threats. The military may have additional functions of use to its greater society, such as advancing a political agenda e.g...

Ruler

A ruler, sometimes called a rule or line gauge, is an instrument used in geometry, technical drawing, printing and engineering/building to measure distances and/or to rule straight lines...

, Dictator

Dictator

A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...

, and President

President

A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...

of Pakistan

Pakistan

while he was addressing Pakistani origin gathering at Walthamstow

Walthamstow

Walthamstow is a district of northeast London, England, located in the London Borough of Waltham Forest. It is situated north-east of Charing Cross...

, a district of London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

in Britain

United Kingdom

. The anonymous man threw shoe to protest against Pakistani citizens detention by USA.

At Hosni Mubarak

On 10 February 2011, Hosni Mubarak

Hosni Mubarak

Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....

announced that he would not be stepping down from his position as President of Egypt

President of Egypt

The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....

. Crowds gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square waved their shoes in protest.

At Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

When Saif al-Islam Gaddafi (son of Muammar Gaddafi

Muammar Gaddafi

Muammar Muhammad Abu Minyar Gaddafi or "September 1942" 20 October 2011), commonly known as Muammar Gaddafi or Colonel Gaddafi, was the official ruler of the Libyan Arab Republic from 1969 to 1977 and then the "Brother Leader" of the Libyan Arab Jamahiriya from 1977 to 2011.He seized power in a...

) appeared on Libya

Libya

Libya is an African country in the Maghreb region of North Africa bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to the east, Sudan to the southeast, Chad and Niger to the south, and Algeria and Tunisia to the west....

n state television on 20 February 2011 protesters threw their shoes at the projection of the broadcast.

At Suresh Kalmadi

On 26 April 2011, while arrested former chairman of the 2010 Commonwealth Games

2010 Commonwealth Games

The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...

Organising Committee Suresh Kalmadi

Suresh Kalmadi

Suresh Kalmadi is an Indian politician and senior sports administrator. He was formerly a member of the Indian National Congress...

was being led into the court premises, an attacker identified as one Kapil Thakur from Madhya Pradesh rushed up to him and hurled a slipper. The footwear, however, missed its mark. Ironically, Mr Kalmadi had started his political career in the late 1970s by throwing slippers on Prime Minister

Prime Minister of India

Morarji Desai

Morarji Ranchhodji Desai was an Indian independence activist and the fourth Prime Minister of India from 1977–79. He was the first Indian Prime Minister who did not belong to the Indian National Congress...

's car in Pune.

At Janardan Dwivedi

On 6 June 2011, Congress spokesperson Janardhan Dwivedi was targeted at a press conference by a man who tried to throw a shoe at him. It was reaction after Delhi Police ordered dismantle act against Yoga Teacher Baba Ramdev's Protest against Corruption. The attacker, Sunil Kumar, posed himself as a journalist working with Nav Sanchar Patrika of Rajasthan

Rajasthan

Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...

At Arvind Kejriwal

On 18 October 2011, RTI

Right to Information Act

The Right to Information Act 2005 is an Act of the Parliament of India "to provide for setting out the practical regime of right to information for citizens." The Act applies to all States and Union Territories of India except the State of Jammu and Kashmir. Jammu and Kashmir has its own act...

activist and member of India Against Corruption

India Against Corruption

India Against Corruption is a people's movement to demand comprehensive reforms of anti-corruption systems in India. Several eminent citizens have come together to force the Government of India to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill .- Strategy :...

, Arvind Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal

Arvind Kumar Kejriwal is an Indian social activist fighting for greater transparency in Government. He was awarded Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006, for activating India's Right to Information movement at grassroots and social activities to empower the poorest citizens to...

was targeted in Lucknow

Lucknow

Lucknow is the capital city of Uttar Pradesh in India. Lucknow is the administrative headquarters of Lucknow District and Lucknow Division....

, India

India

when one Jitendra Pathak tried to hurl a shoe at him, but it missed. It was just a week after another member of IAC and senior Supreme Court of India Lawyer Prashant Bhushan

Prashant Bhushan

Prashant Bhushan is an advocate practicing in Delhi and is a social activist. He is the son of lawyer and former Law Minister of India Shanti Bhushan.-Education:...

was assaulted by some people in his chamber at Supreme Court.

Context

Notable incidents

At George W. Bush

At Arbab Ghulam Rahim

At Wen Jiabao

At Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

At Dominique Strauss-Kahn

At executives of Fortis

At Clifford D. May

At Gordana Čomić

At Silvan Shalom

Election-related shoeings in India

At P. Chidambaram

At Manmohan Singh

At B. S. Yeddyurappa

At Naveen Jindal

At Lal Krishna Advani

At Hayley Williams

At Omar al-Bashir

At Dorit Beinisch

At Henry Tang

At Asif Ali Zardari

At Omar Abdullah

At Tony Blair

At George Papandreou

At John Howard

At Pervez Musharraf

At Hosni Mubarak

At Saif al-Islam Gaddafi

At Suresh Kalmadi

At Janardan Dwivedi

At Arvind Kejriwal

See also