University of Cambridge Down Plays Shoe Incident

This afternoon the Premier Minister of China Wen Jiabao was thrown a shoe while addressing the audience at the University of Cambridge. The incident happened almost in the same manner as it was in Iraq when a reporter threw his shoes at then-President George W. Bush in December. However, the matter was handled in a more civil and calm way in London compared to the swift and near-violent way of handling in Iraq.
The University of Cambridge downplays the incident in its release focusing on Jiabao's speech rather than the shoe incident. However, the the incident has made the top news around the world.
According to AP "the shoe-throwing came at the end of Wen's a three-day visit to Britain that was dogged by demonstrations over human rights and Chinese policy in Tibet. Wen returned to Beijing Tuesday." Not many details are known yet, but some have written that the incident with Wen Jiabao is related to Tibet and that it was a Tibet rights protester that threw his shoe on Wen Jiabao.
Here is what Univerity of Cambridge has release.
Premier Wen Jiabao of The People’s Republic of China made the trip from London to the University of Cambridge this afternoon despite the snowstorm to give the prestigious Rede Lecture at West Road Concert Hall.
He spoke to a packed and receptive international audience of more than 500 staff and students about the history of development in China, the challenges ahead and the present financial crisis. The lecture was entitled: "See China in the Light of Her Development".
He then responded to questions from the audience.
His lecture was briefly interrupted by a member of the audience who was removed from the lecture by University Proctors and has subsequently been arrested by Police on suspicion of breach of the peace and attempted assault.
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alison Richard, said: "We were much honoured that Premier Wen gave the Rede Lecture this afternoon, and I was delighted to accept his gift of the China Digital Library, in recognition of the University's 800th Anniversary.
"I deeply regret that a single member of the audience this afternoon failed to show the respect for our speaker that is customary at Cambridge. This university is a place for considered argument and debate, not for shoe-throwing."
Based on Materials from University of Cambridge, AP and YouTube.
Source..