Dominique Strauss-Kahn joins the shoe club

While speaking in Turkey, IMF Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn became the latest world leader to fall victim to an attack by shoe:   The Fund’s managing director was addressing students on the campus of Bilgi University when a student took aim with a white trainer, chanting “get out of the university, thief IMF.” Television footage showed ...

By , a former associate editor at Foreign Policy.
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International Monetary Fund (IMF) managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn delivers a speech at Bilgi University during IMF and World Bank Meeting on October 1, 2009 in Istanbul. A protester threw a shoe at Strauss-Kahn, shouting "IMF, get out of Turkey!". The shoe fell short of the IMF chief and the protester was escorted out of the hall by security guards. AFP PHOTO/ BULENT KILIC (Photo credit should read BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images)

While speaking in Turkey, IMF Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn became the latest world leader to fall victim to an attack by shoe:

 

The Fund’s managing director was addressing students on the campus of Bilgi University when a student took aim with a white trainer, chanting “get out of the university, thief IMF.”

Television footage showed security guards shielding Mr Strauss-Kahn and hustling the bearded student, who wore a white t-shirt and sleeveless jacket, out of the room.

Mr Strauss-Kahn later shrugged off the protest. “It is important for us to have an open debate. I was glad to meet students and hear their views. This is what the IMF needs to do, even if not everyone agrees with us. One thing I learned, Turkish students are polite. They waited until the end to complain,” he told reporters.

With this incident, Strauss-Kahn joins the motley crew of shoe-attack survivors that now includes George W. Bush, Wen Jiabao, Indian Home minister P. Chidambaram, and (possibly) Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.  The shoe-chucking innovator Muntazar al-Zaidi was released from jail in Iraq this month. 

So, readers, who do we think will be next? 

BULENT KILIC/AFP/Getty Images

Joshua Keating was an associate editor at Foreign Policy. Twitter: @joshuakeating

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