Recent News Report: China denounced as despicable a protester who threw a shoe at Premier Wen Jiabao at Cambridge University…. “The facts demonstrate that the despicable conduct of this troublemaker will win no sympathy,” China’s Foreign Ministry said.

Wrong! Cairns Media Magazine expresses deep sympathy and hearty admiration for the shoe-thrower, described as a 27-year-old PhD student from Germany. When Chinese-government representatives say that “the facts demonstrate”, what follows usually defies the truth.

While hurling a sports shoe that missed China’s premier but landed onstage near him, the noble heckler yelled about Chinese dictators. Ah, that’s truthful – unlike so much of what the nation’s Communist leaders say.

Shoe-throwing qualifies as a powerful means of protest. Earlier, an Iraqi let loose with two shoes at then-U.S. president George W. Bush. We’re reminded of the 1990s when Canadian protesters liked to get close to mayors, premiers or prime ministers and then slap creamy pies into their faces.

Sometimes successful protests trigger legal consequences. But court action should be reserved for “real criminals”, and protesters who embarrass politicians don’t qualify. The flying shoes missed Bush and Wen. Only their pride took a hit.

When resuming his speech, Wen said: “This isn’t going to obstruct China-UK friendships. History shows harmony will not be obstructed by any force….”

Aha! More telltale words, “history shows”, lead into a claim that’s contrary to history. Actually, history’s full of “forces” that disrupt harmony, leading to disputes and wars.

In fact, Wen missed the point. Rather than trying to disrupt China-UK relations, the protester acted on more basic intentions. Shoe-throwing amounts to a huge insult, an expression of contempt, exactly what some political leaders deserve.

Neither dictators (like those from Beijing), nor powerful buffoons (like Bush), can feel entirely safe from insult when delivering speeches overseas, not when members of the audience wear shoes. Despite wielding political and economic power, many of the world’s less-than-worthy leaders can’t secure a much-coveted commodity -- respect from billions of independent thinkers and free-speech practitioners.

Leaders who deserve respect should receive it. Those who earn contempt should collect it – no matter what the Chinese Foreign Ministry says that “facts demonstrate”.

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