Laid-off man throws shoes at Iranian President Ahmadinejad

Laid-off man throws shoes at Iranian President Ahmadinejad

2011-12-13 03:57:22 GMT+7 (ICT)

SARI, IRAN (BNO NEWS) -- A laid-off textile worker was arrested on Monday after he threw his shoes at Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who was visiting a factory in northern Iran, opposition news websites reported.

The incident reportedly happened at the Mazandaran textile factory in the city of Sari, which is the provincial capital of Mazandaran, when a 45-year-old man, who was seated in the front row of an audience, threw his shoes at Ahmadinejad.

The shoes missed the president, who was delivering a speech to workers at the factory, and instead hit a banner behind him, but it was not immediately clear how Ahmadinejad reacted and if he was forced to evade the shoes. The attacker then started shouting, criticizing the state of unemployment in the country.

Opposition news websites identified the man, who had been laid-off by the factory after having not received a salary for more than a year, as 'Rashid Sh.' The reports said that, in response to the attack, Ahmadinejad supporters shouted slogans in support of the president and started beating Rashid. He was quickly taken away by police.

It was not immediately clear if Rashid was seriously injured or if he would face any charges. Neither the government nor state-run media, which usually does not report on stories critical of senior government officials, commented on the incident.

Opposition news websites said Rashid previously served a jail sentence after he threw eggs or tomatoes at former President Mohammad Khatami when he was visiting Sari during his presidency.

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