A viral video of an Iraqi journalist throwing his shoes at former U.S. President George W. Bush has resurfaced online, just a day after a shoe was hurled at President William Ruto during a rally in Migori County.
The 2008 footage, which quickly went global at the time, shows journalist Muntadhar al-Zaidi standing up during a press conference in Baghdad and shouting in Arabic, “This is a goodbye kiss from the Iraqi people, you dog!” before flinging his first shoe at Bush.
He then followed with a second shoe, declaring, “This is for the widows, orphans, and those who died in Iraq.”
The incident occurred in December 2008 during Bush’s surprise farewell visit to Iraq.
After nearly eight years in office and five years into the controversial Iraq War, Bush was addressing the media alongside then-Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.
Just as he finished his remarks and prepared to leave, al-Zaidi launched the protest that would become one of the most iconic moments of his presidency.
President Bush skillfully ducked both shoes, but the symbolism was not lost.
In Arab culture, throwing a shoe is a deep sign of disrespect.
The moment was broadcast around the world, earning al-Zaidi both condemnation and praise.
While some criticized the act, many in Iraq and across the Arab world hailed him as a hero for expressing public anger over the U.S.-led invasion.
In a 2023 interview with The Independent, al-Zaidi reflected on the incident and the continued suffering in Iraq.
“Every year, I ask myself why this happened. Why did Bush destroy my country?” he said.
Though U.S. troops have since withdrawn, al-Zaidi believes Iraq still grapples with deep corruption, poor public services, and the influence of foreign powers, particularly Iran.
Al-Zaidi worked as a correspondent for Al-Baghdadia TV during the war, often covering stories about civilians affected by bombings and sectarian violence.
In 2007, he was kidnapped for several days and later detained twice by U.S. forces for questioning.
He says the shoe-throwing was a long-planned protest against U.S. claims that Iraqis had welcomed American troops with “flowers.”
Moments before launching his shoes, he recalled thinking of the victims of war and his own family.
Security forces swiftly overpowered him, and al-Zaidi later reported that he was beaten, tortured, and had his nose and teeth broken during three days of detention.
He was eventually charged with assaulting a foreign leader and sentenced to three years in prison.
However, due to overwhelming public support, he served only nine months.
Upon his release, jubilant Iraqis celebrated by slaughtering sheep—a traditional gesture of joy.
After prison, al-Zaidi lived in Lebanon and Switzerland.
He returned to Iraq in 2018 and ran for parliament on an anti-corruption platform but failed to win a seat.
Now living in Baghdad, he no longer works in journalism but remains a vocal critic of the U.S. intervention in Iraq. Asked recently whether he would throw a shoe at Bush again, al-Zaidi responded: “He’s not even worth my shoe.”