“You know the drill,” said Jimmy Orr in The Christian Science Monitor. “If you don’t like someone’s speech—throw your footwear at him.” Like George W. Bush in Iraq, Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao was the victim of a shoe attack at Britain’s Cambridge University (see video). Due to poor aim, Wen didn’t need Bush’s “ninja-like moves” to avoid the sneaker, but while Bush cracked a joke, Wen "was not nearly as amused.”
And why should he be? asked The Middle East Times in an editorial. Freedom of speech is important, but “we draw the line at freedom of shoe throwing.” It is surely tempting to tell authoritarian leaders like Wen “to shut up” when they hypocritically lecture about democracy, but this is too much. At least the British thrower, unlike his Iraqi inspiration, wasn’t a journalist.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.