Shoe Thrown at Chinese Premier at Cambridge University

[general_kill]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/02/china.uk.shoe.protest/index.html

LONDON, England (CNN) -- A human rights protester was in police custody Monday after throwing a shoe at Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during a speech at Cambridge University.
The shoe landed several meters from Wen Jiabao.

The shoe landed several meters from Wen Jiabao.

The shoe landed several meters from the premier and the man was quickly apprehended by security and handed over to police for questioning on suspicion of committing a public order offence, according to witnesses.

A student who witnessed the incident told CNN that the man had stood up and shouted, "Why are you prostituting yourself? How can you listen to the lies he is telling?"
...

Are we going to start throwing shoes at foreign representatives we don't agree with? My God, what has the world come to where men throw shoes instead of shooting bullets.

 

[Sidhe]

I mentioned this earlier on the other shoe thread. I'm kinda hoping it becomes a standard form of protest, I watched the student get ushered out by Cambridge officials. In Universities you have to expect that sort of thing though, and I'm all for it personally, as long as it's peaceful and ultimately harmless.

 

[Patroklos]

In Universities you have to expect that sort of thing though

No, I expect and demand them to be respectful to invited guests that are providing input to your education regardless as to whether you agree with them or not.

 

[Sidhe]

No, I expect and demand them to be respectful to invited guests that are providing input to your education regardless as to whether you agree with them or not.

Not in the UK I'm afraid, it happens all the time if your guest speaker is controversial. It's a tradition. So much for free speech though.

 

[Abaddon]

How long til all shoes are banned in such situation?>

 

[emzie]

Missed by several metres? You Brits really are falling behind the world.

 

[Sidhe]

Missed by several metres? You Brits really are falling behind the world.

Pfft nerds never were good at sports, and he was being wrestled at the time IIRC.

 

[general_kill]

How long til all shoes are banned in such situation?>

If they start banning shoes, they better prepare plenty of air fresheners.

 

[Abaddon]

Ban feet, that would solve it.

 

[Masquerouge]

I can understand, sort of, a disgruntled Iraqi throwing his shoe at Bush.

But an Englishman? At a Chinese politician?

 

[Sidhe]

I can understand, sort of, a disgruntled Iraqi throwing his shoe at Bush.

But an Englishman? At a Chinese politician?

University hotbead of political activists from all wings of the medium? Are you kidding, that's tame compared to some stories I've heard, you should see what they did to Rolf Harris.

University is basically freedom, if you can't demonstrate there, then it's no kind of freedom, and that has been traditional. The government have even militarily attacked Universities for their views. It's traditional, let it go...

 

[general_kill]

Ban feet, that would solve it.

It would make it harder to get around, perhaps the unis where provide complementary pegged legs upon removal of feet?

 

[Mad Man]

Pfft nerds never were good at sports, and he was being wrestled at the time IIRC.

No I think you have it backwards they wrestled him for missing get it straight

 

[Bill3000]

Are we going to start throwing shoes at foreign representatives we don't agree with? My God, what has the world come to where men throw shoes instead of shooting bullets.

It's better than pies.

 

[RT Winger]

...and I'm all for it personally, as long as it's peaceful and ultimately harmless.

What part of throwing a shoe is peaceful and "ultimately harmless"?

 

[SS-18 ICBM]

In Communist China, shoe throws you.

But seriously, this is a lame copycat. I'd throw my hat instead (if I was wearing one).

On a truly serious note, this is a petty way to air grievances and protest. And it is an offense to throw an object at anybody.

 

[cubsfan6506]

Unless it's a steel toed sho it couldn't really do any damage.

 

[Bill3000]

What part of throwing a shoe is peaceful and "ultimately harmless"?

It doesn't kill them or deal any real bodily harm.

 

[Formaldehyde]

Missed by several metres? You Brits really are falling behind the world.

We obviously have a dangerous shoe gap here. Either the Brits are going to have to improve their accuracy immensely, or start using tactical nuclear shoes.

 

[Oerdin]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/02/02/china.uk.shoe.protest/index.html



Are we going to start throwing shoes at foreign representatives we don't agree with? My God, what has the world come to where men throw shoes instead of shooting bullets.

Nothing else seems to be working so maybe a shoe will get their attention.