They chanted "Down, down with Bush," and praised Muntadhar al-Zaidi, the Iraqi journalist, as a "hero," calling for his release.
Protesters held up banners including a picture of U.S. President George W. Bush with a real shoe fixed on it, picture showing Bush dodging a flying shoe and even pictures of late Iraqi president Saddam Hussein.
At a news conference Bush held last Sunday in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Muntadhar al-Zaidi, reporter of Baghdadiya television, jumped and threw his two shoes one by one at Bush and called him a "dog" in Arabic.
Bush ducked and narrowly missed being struck, but the journalist was wrestled by several security members to the floor and then dragged out of the hall as he was screaming.