Shoe wars and public fury as public take aim at power

President William Ruto in Rongo, Migori on May 5, 2025 [Anne Atieno]

Throughout history, throwing a shoe has served as more than a physical act-it is a powerful symbol of contempt.

Rooted in cultural and religious disdain, the gesture of hurling footwear has become a form of protest against those in power.

From eggs to shoes, sandals to stones, the world's most powerful leaders have often faced public outrage with more than just harsh words.

From presidents to prime ministers, few global leaders have escaped the sting-literal or symbolic-of airborne shoes.

The most iconic instance occurred during President Uhuru Kenyatta's 2017 campaign in Migori, a shoe-throwing incident that echoed a deeper discontent.

The scene repeated again on May 5, 2025, when current President William Ruto was targeted mid-speech in the same town. He paused briefly before continuing.

Such an occurrence had happened in 1969 on a visit by Kenyan founding President Jomo Kenyatta to Kisumu, what began with placards and heckles ended in tragedy.

As tensions with the Luo community boiled over, and chants of opposition leader Jaramogi Oginga Odinga filled the air, a stone was thrown.

Kenyatta's security forces opened fire, killing at least 11 civilians, many of them children performing at the event.

Back in December 14, 2008, Iraqi journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi threw both his shoes at then-U.S. President George W. Bush during a press conference in Baghdad.

"This is a farewell kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog!" al-Zaidi shouted, expressing outrage over the U.S. invasion of Iraq.

Though Bush ducked the flying footwear, the image circled the globe and ignited a wave of copycat protests.

Bush became the most frequent symbolic target, even after leaving office.

Other global leaders who met similar footwear-fueled dissent include former Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim and former President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan were both publicly shooed in 2008 and 2011 respectively.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao had a shoe flung at him during a speech in London in 2009 while in Sweden, the Israeli Ambassador Benny Dagan was struck by a protester's shoe during a discussion on the Gaza conflict.

In Iran, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad dodged shoes on multiple occasions, including one that hit opposition leader Mehdi Karroubi in the face in 2009.

India, too, saw a surge of discontent when Home Minister P. Chidambaram, L.K. Advani, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh all became targets in 2009.

A dramatic moment unfolded in 2010 when a police officer hurled his shoe at Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah, shouting pro-freedom slogans.

Perhaps most telling was the 2011 Egyptian revolution, where masses waved shoes in Tahrir Square after Hosni Mubarak refused to step down.

In 2013, Taiwan saw a wave of shoe-throwing incidents targeting President Ma Ying-jeou, as a symbolic revolt against his administration.

What began as small acts of defiance turned into a nationwide protest movement. Citizens even donated old shoes en masse to support demonstrators.

On September 8, the first major shoe-throwing event occurred outside the Presidential Office in Taipei. Protesters lobbed footwear at President Ma-though none hit their mark.

In April 2014, former U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had a shoe thrown at her during a speech in Las Vegas. She laughed it off, joking, "Is that somebody throwing something at me? Is that part of Cirque du Soleil?"

In August that year in India, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal was targeted by an unemployed youth who hurled a shoe during a political conference.

Syria, 2024 - While visiting the infamous Sednaya Prison, a Syrian woman threw a shoe at UN envoy Geir Pedersen, expressing anguish over her missing relatives and accusing the UN of inaction.