September 4, 2010 10:35 AM

Shoe, Eggs Hurled at Tony Blair at Booksigning

(AP)  Anti-war protesters hurled shoes and eggs at Tony Blair on Saturday as he held the first public signing of his fast-selling memoir.

Scores of demonstrators chanted that Blair had "blood on his hands" as the former British prime minister arrived at a Dublin book store. A shoe, eggs and other projectiles were thrown toward Blair as he emerged from a car, but did not hit him. A flip-flop could be seen lying on the roof of a BMW in Blair's motorcade.

Security was tight for the signing, with book buyers - who appeared to outnumber the 200 or so protesters - told to hand over bags and mobile phones before entering Eason's book store.

Some of the protesters, who were held behind barricades, scuffled with police, and there were at least two arrests.

Blair spent about two hours in the store before emerging to more shouts and hurled eggs. He was quickly driven away.

Blair was paid a £4 million ($7 million) advance for "A Journey" (Random House), which mounts a strong defense of his policies during his decade as prime minister, including the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Blair says in the book that he is not sorry for his decision to enter the U.S.-led war, although he has wept for its victims. He is donating all proceeds from the book to a charity for wounded troops.

In an interview aired Saturday, Blair rejected claims that the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan had increased Muslim radicalization, saying said "wicked and backward-looking" radical Islam is the greatest threat to global security.

Blair told the BBC World Service "the biggest threat in international security is this broader radicalized movement, because I think it is rather similar to revolutionary communism."

He said al Qaeda-linked extremism was "loosely a global ideological movement, but Iran is a state sponsor of it."

Released this week, "A Journey" is Amazon's best-selling title in Britain, and has climbed into the top 10 on the online retailer's U.S. chart.

© 2010 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Add a Comment See all 31 Comments
by babooph September 9, 2010 12:16 PM EDT
He has brains ,talent & honed skills,but those wars will always haunt him-His book could NEVER justify the mistake.
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by armyoftwelve September 9, 2010 12:16 PM EDT
I can't wait to read the book.

People interested in truly civilized debate don't resort to throwing eggs and shoes. Maybe thier parents failed to teach them manners before the CIA bombed thier mud huts....
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by Cassarit September 9, 2010 12:16 PM EDT
Good!

The guy is a mass murderer just like Bush and he deserves a date with a hangman or a firing squad. He should consider himself lucky to have gotten only shoes.
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by Cassarit September 9, 2010 12:16 PM EDT
Good!

The guy is a mass murderer just like Bush and he deserves a date with a hangman or a firing squad. He should consider himself lucky to have gotten only shoes.
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by Libs_R_Insane September 9, 2010 12:14 PM EDT
"Shoe, Eggs Hurled at Tony Blair at Booksigning"

**********************

This kinda thing happens all the time in the entire world.The left is violent and irresponsible.And the left don't have class.
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by endurorob_5 September 7, 2010 8:39 AM EDT
Aren't liberals such peacfull protestors? Nothing like those nasty tea party people. (for the more dens of you this is sarcasm)
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by euge005 September 5, 2010 7:54 AM EDT
Which is likely why our own war criminals except Chaney, have been hiding under their wet rocks & hoping that the Iraqi's do not ask for their extradition. They have about 150,000 dead and 3 millions displaced in the ethnic cleasning that the Bush babies did not try to prevent.
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by Quantrill13 September 4, 2010 6:12 PM EDT
Give these rotten egg's 1-year in jail on bread and water!
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by armyoftwelve September 4, 2010 4:40 PM EDT
I can't wait to read this book.

It really isn't part of civilized debate to throw rocks and shoes...whatsa' matter: your parents forgot to teach you manners before the CIA bombed their mud hut????
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by armyoftwelve September 4, 2010 4:48 PM EDT
I've been in a couple of protests and I never threw eggs or shoes at anyone. My parents taught me manners....
by Simifanene September 4, 2010 1:31 PM EDT
We all agree the terrorist need to be captured. Everything Presidnets and Primeminsters do should be done as a representative of all he leads. There must be honor, justice and wisdom in their decisions. Englands Blair was a shame to his country. He followed George Bush around like a little puppy. He never quibbled with any of any of Bush's foolish words, strategy's or tactics. Millions have died on all sides. Some justified, but most not. Most have died from being in the Middle of a Fools strategy of schock and awe, and invasion and invasion. The Terrorist escaped Bush and Blair's grasp by doing nothing. Blair and Bush played chess with Ladin like a child playing Kasprov. We all want to capture every terrorist without hurtin innocent people. Bush, Cheney and Blair are responsible for the maiming, disabling and killing of almost a million. When, it all wisdom the 911 terrorist should have been destroyed easily the week after 911. How? I won't bore you for an 8 hours, but just suffice to say that their use of armies was foolish, The 911 terrorist had a few tents in the middle of nowhere Afghanastan. No ties to Iraq. The whole of Afghanstan that Bush shock and awed were not terrorist. England has always seen themselves as men of honor. Distinguished men who always spoke the truth. Their word was their bond. Where is your honor Blair? You shamed your country as Bush shamed mine. Capturing the terrorist is just, but what both of you did was foolish and not only that against everything we yanks and the Brit's stand for.
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by euge005 September 9, 2010 12:15 PM EDT
For BoJet, they have a quarter of their couintry still occupied by the decendabts of the English colohnists sent over to control the land. They have at the time of WWII just come out of a protracted war over decades against Britian for independance. And sorry if my history is not up to speed, but they have less to like in the English than they might have had to hate in the nazies. Easy to see why people starting a war of aggression would not be popular in Holy Erin.
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