BAGHDAD , Iraq ( CNN ) -- Protesters across Iraq Tuesday urged government authorities to free the TV correspondent who threw his shoes at President Bush . TV reporter Muntadhar al-Zaidi , shown in a file photo , was jailed after throwing his shoes at President Bush . Hundreds of students at Diyala University in Baquba carried banners demanding the release of Muntadhar al-Zaidi -- described by demonstrators as an `` honorable Iraqi . '' Smaller protests emerged in the Anbar province city of Falluja and in two Baghdad locations -- Baghdad University in the northern part of the city and western Baghdad 's Ameriya district . In those events , students also took to the streets . Al-Zaidi threw his shoes at Bush while Bush and Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki were holding a Sunday news conference after the president 's surprise visit to Baghdad . The journalist was dragged to the ground , hustled out of the room and arrested . Shouting as he was dragged to the floor , the reporter called his shoe-throwing -- a traditional insult in Arab culture -- a `` farewell kiss '' to a `` dog '' who launched the 2003 invasion of Iraq . Watch Muntadhar al-Zaidi throw his shoes at Bush » . Dhirgham al-Zaidi , the shoe-thrower 's brother , said the journalist hated the `` material American occupation '' and Iranian influence in Iraq . Asked about the incident by CNN 's Candy Crowley , Bush said , `` I did n't have much time to reflect on anything . I was ducking and dodging . '' He said the journalist was `` looking for notoriety '' and that authorities should n't overreact in their treatment of him . TV networks across the world continue to air the shoe-throwing scene , which has touched a nerve in the Arab world , where there has been an outpouring of support for al-Zaidi -- a correspondent for the Egyptian-based Al-Baghdadia TV . The network , which has been airing rolling live coverage about the incident , is urging his release and has invited guests who support him into its studio . Watch Arab reaction to the incident » . Its crawls include messages of support from Iraqis and foreigners . Iraqis have been receiving short text messages of support on their cell phones , and some of the notes are short poems . Al-Baghdadia reported Tuesday al-Zaidi called one of his brothers and said he was in the custody of judicial authorities and will appear Wednesday in Baghdad 's Central Criminal Court . He asked his defense team to meet him there , the network said . Web sites and Facebook pages devoted to al-Zaidi have also been posted .
NEW : Journalist just looking for notoriety , Bush says . Posted by: The Great White Scotsman at October 11, 2016 02:11 PM (iONHu) Al-Zaidi was described by demonstrators as an `` honorable Iraqi '' Brother says reporter hated American , Iranian influence in Baghdad .