Shoes @ G.W. Bush in Montreal, Dec. 20, 2008

19Dec
by Maximilian C. Forte

Re-posted from Facebook:

“This is a farewell kiss, you dog!”
MONTREAL SHOE ACTION
In solidarity with Muntadar al-Zeidi
Bush out of Baghdad … Canada out of Kandahar!

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 20 at 1pm
outside the US Consulate in Montreal
(1155 St-Alexandre, métro McGill)

-> Bring extra shoes and footwear to throw! Bring noisemakers!
-> We strongly encourage all journalists to join us in this action and to throw their own shoes.

After our action at the US Consulate, we will march west along Ste-Catherine Street to Bishop Street and the Canadian Armed Forces Recruiting Station, where our shoe action will continue.

–> MAP: http://tinyurl.com/62s43k

Along with tens of millions around the world, we celebrate the recent action of Iraqi journalist Muntadar al-Zeidi who hurled two shoes at US President George Bush while shouting, “This is a farewell kiss, you dog! This is from the widows, the orphans, and those who were killed in Iraq.”

We support the calls for al-Zeidi’s immediate release from detention, and denounce his abuse while in custody. And, in a simple gesture of solidarity by local anti-war activists and independent media journalists, we will gather outside the US consulate to hurl shoes in continued opposition to the US occupation of Iraq, as well as the already announced escalation of the US military occupation of Afghanistan by the incoming Obama administration (a continuation of “Operation Enduring Freedom”, launched by George Bush after September 11, 2001).

We also continue to oppose Canada’s complicity with the US-led “War on Terror”, with the Canadian Armed Forces’ military presence in Afghanistan. More Canadian troops in Afghanistan has effectively meant that more American troops have been available to occupy Iraq.

Organized by: Block the Empire-Montreal (a working group of QPIRG-Concordia)
INFO: 514-848-7583 or blocktheempire@gmail.com

A video primer: Shoe throwing for angry demonstrators


7 thoughts on “Shoes @ G.W. Bush in Montreal, Dec. 20, 2008”

  1. An0n

    They did it again, in Ukraine!

    http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/247135,ukraine-journalist-hurls-shoes-politician-in-nato-protest.html

    By the way, they did it again! In Ukraine, a journalist threw _boots_ at a pro-NATO speaker.

    http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=1ea_1229701785

    After Muthathar al-Zaidi, an Iraqi journalist, threw both his shoes at President George W. Bush during a news conference in Baghdad, the method of protest seems to be gaining popularity in other countries. In Odessa, during the opening ceremony of the Euro Atlantic Cooperation Centre which took place in the South-Ukrainian Pedagogical University, a journalist expressed his protest is a similar way.

    Around 100 students were present at the ceremony. Oleg Soskin, a member of the Ukraine-NATO Social League Coordination Council, was making a speech when he was interrupted by a journalist from one of the local TV channels, who shouted: “Students, you’re young and promising, don’t you listen to these stupid and marasmic old homosexuals!” The journalist then took off his boots and threw them at Soskin.

    1. Maximilian Forte

      Yes, too bad some do not see the humour and the theatre as well, not that it is unmotivated by serious issues. Just wait until I put a picture up of the shoes I will be using for the demonstration — all dressed up for the occasion, I almost hate to part with them after all the work I put into “beautifying” them!

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