BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) - Protesters across Iraq Tuesday urged government authorities to free the TV correspondent who threw his shoes at U.S. President George W. Bush.
Hundreds of students at Diyala University in Baquba carried banners demanding the release of Muntadhar al-Zaidi - described by demonstrators as an "honorable Iraqi."
Smaller protests emerged in the Anbar province city of Falluja and in two Baghdad locations - Baghdad University in the northern part of the city and western Baghdad's Ameriya district. In those events, students also took to the streets.
Al-Zaidi threw his shoes at Bush, while Bush and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki were holding a Sunday news conference after the president's surprise visit to Baghdad. The journalist was dragged to the ground, hustled out of the room and arrested.
Shouting as he was dragged to the floor, the reporter called his shoe-throwing - a traditional insult in Arab culture - a "farewell kiss" to a "dog" who launched the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Dhirgham al-Zaidi, the shoe-thrower's brother, said the journalist hated the "material American occupation" and Iranian influence in Iraq.
From CNN Politics
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Just let him go. Bring him to the US. I can think of a couple of folks that could use a good booting.
NIKE should hire him. It would make a great Super Bowl Ad.
Just Do It.
I just read that this guy suffered a broken arm and head injury as a result of the boot toss. He is currently in the hospital and possibly may serve up to 2 yrs in prison for attacking an official.
He insulted his own government when he offended a visiting dignitary. His protest should have been made in another way, and he is certainly no hero regardless of your viewpoint.
What would have happened to al-Zaidi if he had thrown shoes at Sadam ? -He wouldn't have left the room alive!
This is the kind of CRAP a free society must endure. This shows the degree that Iraq has evolved into a free society. They throw shoes and PETA throws fake blood.
Welcome to FREEDOM!
Let him free!!!
I think the Illiniois governor could use a good shoe throwin.
Good for them. They're learning to taste FREEDOM.
I believe that this man has committed an act that many of us Americans would love to do ourselves! Shoe throwing can't even begin to compare with the atrocities that Bush has put the Iraq's through. Release him at once, and give him a medal!
Let him go - he simply did what many of us wish we could have had the freedom to do. What Mr. al-Zaidi did was a shot in the arm for protesters the world over.
Will we ever be rid of Bush/Cheney, etc. persecutions? Please. No more war!
Let him go. At least 70% of U.S. citizens would like to throw shoes at the incompetent pres.
I say let him serve 2 years for attacking an official. His behavior was totally unacceptable. To me, an attack is an attack whether it's with a hurled shoe or a clinched fist in the face. What he did could have actually injured the president had the shoe made contact with the president's head.
As for the guy's broken arm and other injuries, he should have thought about the potential consequences before he undertook his actions. No sympathy here.
Bush should offer him a pardon. No, really.
Quietly release the guy... A minor incident, a tiny footnote in history. And an action that (I'd be willing to bet) many US citizens would love to take themselves.
President Bush moved pretty fast
Let him go. He just did what a bunch of us would love to do.
we are over there fighting so they can have freedom of speech...in their culture that is freedom of speech...let him go
He is a hero. Let him go and give him a medal of honor.
So I guess its ok, will the opinion change if someone does it to Obama? My guess is that it will.
The Iraqis government might purposely infiltrated him to the press conference to show to the world that they can insult a US sitting president, by whom they were freed and are able to do such kind of thing now. Were they brave enough to do that to Saddam Hussein?
They are freed but yet they are not grateful. Could you imagine what happen if an American insults one of Arab's leaders? That man will be killed then they will demand apology and money from us.
Such primitive and coward nations will never become big.
He should remain in jail. i am not a fan of President Bush, but he is the president of the USA, and what he did was disrespecful, and if he is not punished other will try the same, may be at another President they don't like....
We the American citizens asked that the Iraqi government free the shoe thrower and give him a verbal tongue lashing only. As many of us here in the US wish we could throw our shoe at President Bush and impeach him at the same time for running our country in the ground.
This guy took "give him the boot" literally.
Another name for President Bush's out-the-door pardon list.
It would not have been funny if it were any of our past sitting Presidents but b/c it was Bush it was the most funniest thing I have ever seen. Bush deserves what ever is thrown at him. Over 4000 troops dead including my cousin who was killed on 11/25/08 and left 2 children ages 7 & 12. For a war that should have never happened, there were no WMD's and Bush knew it. He just wanted to compete with his father. So forgive me for getting a little satisfaction from seeing a shoe being thrown at him. He deserved a drive by shoeing and if I were there I would have given him my high heel to throw to.