In various countries, objects have been thrown at politicians for reasons varying from comedic to harmful. This article lists incidents in which objects have been thrown at politicians. The incidents are sorted by country of origin of the targeted politician.
Albania On 2 November 2015, student protestors threw eggs at Prime Minister Edi Rama as he was exiting the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Tirana. On 19 February 2019, Prime Minister Edi Rama had ink thrown at him by former opposition lawmaker Edi Paloka during a session of the Albanian parliament. On 30 July 2024, Prime Minister Edi Rama had a bottle thrown at him by opposition lawmaker Albana Vokshi during a session of the Albanian parliament. The bottle was caught by a guard and did not hit. On 20 July 2026, protesters threw eggs at the cars of Interior Minister Bledar Çuçi and Minister of Education Mirela Kumbaro. The eggs had the names of lawmakers and Prime Minister Rama on them.
Argentina On 27 August 2025, protestors pelted the vehicle of President Javier Milei and General Secretary of the Presidency Karina Milei with small rocks, bottles and other objects during a campaign rally in Lomas de Zamora, Buenos Aires Province, ahead of that year's midterm elections. While none of the objects hit, the rally was cut short.
Australia On November 29, 1917, Prime Minister Billy Hughes had an egg thrown at him at the Warwick railway station in Queensland. On March 11, 1993, Liberal leader John Hewson was pelted with eggs, soft drink cans, apples, tomatoes and broccoli during a rally in front of Brisbane city hall, with Hewson catching one of the eggs. On October 25, 2010, two shoes were thrown at John Howard, former Prime Minister, by Peter Gray, live on the ABC Television program Q&A while Howard was defending his decision to commit Australian troops to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. On November 4, 2010, John Howard was delivering a speech about leadership in the new century at the University of Cambridge when an Australian student called him a racist before taking off his boot and throwing it in his direction. On June 14, 2015, David Sprigg threw his shoes at Australian Immigration Minister Peter Dutton in Brisbane, later saying, "I think he should be ashamed for what his government is doing and how asylum seekers are being treated in detention centres. When they use language like 'queue jumpers' and 'illegal arrivals', I think they're really just turning the public against refugees." On March 16, 2019, Senator Fraser Anning had an egg cracked on the back of his head by a teenager due to him blaming Muslim immigrants for the Christchurch mosque shootings. On May 6, 2019, a woman attempted to egg Prime Minister Scott Morrison while he was campaigning for the 2019 election, but it bounced off his head.
Belgium On June 17, 2013, State Secretary for Asylum and Migration Maggie De Block was hit in the face with plates carrying whipped cream and ketchup by two activists. They responded to her immigration policy labeling it "fascist, destructive and inhumane". On December 22, 2014, Prime Minister Charles Michel was attacked with French fries and mayonnaise by two masked members of Lilith, an international feminist activist group. They were protesting financial cuts. A packet of French fries was first thrown over the prime minister and was immediately followed by several squirts of mayo.
Cambodia On 11 May 2022, a man threw a shoe at Prime Minister Hun Sen during a visit by the latter to Washington, D.C., United States.
Canada On June 3, 1976, former Minister of Agriculture Eugene Whelan was hit on the head with a milk jug during a demonstration by dairy farmers. On August 20, 1982, rocks, eggs, and tomatoes were thrown on a train that then-Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was riding on, resulting in a broken window. On May 7, 1999, former Liberal Party leader Stéphane Dion was hit by a pie. On August 16, 2000, then-Prime Minister Jean Chrétien was pied in Charlottetown by a member of the PEI Pie Brigade. On October 5, 2000, Canadian Alliance leader Stockwell Day was hit with chocolate milk in Kitchener. On April 12, 2003, former Quebec Premier Jean Charest had two pies thrown at him during an election campaign. On July 5, 2003, Alberta Premier Ralph Klein was hit in the face with a banana cream pie at the Calgary Stampede. On July 25, 2010, Klein's successor, Ed Stelmach, was targeted in a pieing incident, but a member of his security detail took the pie for him. On January 25, 2010, Fisheries Minister Gail Shea was pied by someone protesting the seal hunt. On June 15, 2013, a cup of juice was thrown in the face of then-Toronto Mayor Rob Ford at the Taste of Little Italy festival. On September 27, 2019, an egg was thrown at Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at the Montreal Climate Strike. On September 2, 2021, an egg was thrown at People's Party of Canada leader Maxime Bernier during a campaign event in Saskatoon. On September 6, 2021, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had gravel thrown at him while he boarded his campaign bus after a rally. On September 21, 2024, a man was arrested after he allegedly threw a brick at Alain Talbot, mayor of Saint-Paul-de-Montminy, Quebec, as he sat in his car.
China On 2 February 2009, Premier Wen Jiabao had a shoe thrown at him by a German student while giving a lecture at the University of Cambridge. The shoe did not hit Wen.
Czech Republic On 17 November 2014, President Miloš Zeman had various objects, including eggs, sandwiches and tomatoes, thrown at him by protestors during a ceremony to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution. German President Joachim Gauck, who was also present at the ceremony along with the presidents of Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia, was also hit in the head by an egg during the incident.
Denmark On 18 March 2003, activists threw red paint at Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Foreign Minister Per Stig Møller, after a meeting of the Foreign Policy Committee of the Folketing. The action was a protest against Denmark's support and participation in the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and led to increased security measures in the Folketing.
Finland On 30 November 2015, Finance Minister Alexander Stubb had a soft drink thrown in his face during a meet-and-greet in Tampere.
France On February 1, 2012, François Hollande was flour bombed while campaigning for the presidential election in protest of the Socialist Party. On June 6, 2016, Economy Minister and later President Emmanuel Macron was egged by General Confederation of Labour activists protesting labor reforms. On December 22, 2016, former Prime Minister Manuel Valls was flour bombed after announcing that he was running in the presidential election in protest of his multiple uses of Article 49. On April 6, 2017, former Prime Minister François Fillon was flour bombed at a campaign rally in protest of his corruption. On May 4, 2017, while campaigning in Dol-de-Bretagne, Marine le Pen was almost hit by an egg by about 50 protesters shouting "Out with fascists". The egg missed le Pen's head. Security immediately shielded Ms le Pen and she was unharmed. On September 27, 2021, President Emmanuel Macron was hit on the shoulder by an egg during a food trade fair in Lyon. On March 12, 2022, an egg was cracked on far-right presidential candidate Éric Zemmour's head while he was campaigning in Moissac. On April 27, 2022, a tomato missed President Emmanuel Macron during a visit to a working-class area of Paris. On June 4, 2022, eggs were thrown again at Marine le Pen while she was campaigning for the legislative elections. Insults were also thrown at her during her visit to Saint Amand les Eaux. Ms le Pen was quickly escorted by her bodyguards and was unharmed. On 1 March, 2024, eggs were thrown at Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau and Ecological Transition Minister Christophe Béchu by protesting farmers, as the two were attending the Paris International Agricultural Show. On November 25, 2025, a teenager threw flour at National Rally leader Jordan Bardella in Vesoul. On November 29, 2025, a 74-year-old man was arrested for throwing an egg at Jordan Bardella in Moissac.
Georgia On 17 February, 2025, a groups of individuals egged Giorgi Gakharia, former Prime Minister and leader of For Georgia, and , ambassador to Germany, at the Tbilisi International Airport upon their return from the 61st Munich Security Conference. The following day, ex-President Salome Zourabichvili also had eggs thrown at her at the airport as she returned from Munich.
Germany On 10 May 1991, protestors threw eggs, tomatoes, and paint at Chancellor Helmut Kohl during a visit to Halle in eastern Germany. On 29 August, 2024, a man threw paint at Sahra Wagenknecht, leader of the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance, during a press conference in Thuringia. Wagenknecht was not hit by the paint. On 9 January, 2025, a woman threw a foam cake at leader of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and former Finance Minister Christian Lindner.
Greece Since the 1950s protesters have thrown yogurt, referred to as "yaourtoma", at politicians and in 1958 doing so was criminalized until 1983. Alekos Alavanos, Liana Kanelli, and Haris Kastanidis have had yogurt thrown at them.
Guatemala Vice President Roxana Baldetti was covered in flour after a speech in Guatemala City in 2014.
Hong Kong In 2008, Hong Kong politician Raymond Wong Yuk-man threw a bunch of bananas at Chief Executive Donald Tsang in protest of plans to introduce a means test for Old Age Allowance payments (colloquially known as "fruit money"). In 2013, a protester threw a stuffed wolf toy at Leung Chun-ying, as both a criticism of his perceived cunningness, and as a pun on his name and the Chinese word for wolf (the translated name given to the stuffed toy by IKEA also sounds similar to a Cantonese profanity). People have also thrown dorayaki at lawmakers in the past, as an accusation of lying (the fictional character Doraemon uses dorayaki to get people to tell the truth).
Iceland On 1 October 2010, protesters threw eggs and tomatoes at members of the Althing while they were walking between the Parliament House and the Reykjavík Cathedral.
India On 6 October 2025, a shoe was thrown at Chief Justice of India B. R. Gavai at a temple in Khajuraho. The assailant was a lawyer who was reportedly upset over comments Gavai made about Hinduism.
Ireland In April 2002, Fine Gael leader Michael Noonan was hit in the face with a custard pie while canvassing in Roscommon. In November 2010, health minister Mary Harney had red paint thrown at her by a city councillor from Dublin. In November 2012, protesters at University College Dublin threw eggs at Fine Gael leader and Taoiseach Enda Kenny, while he was attending the opening of a student centre in the college. The eggs missed Kenny. In September 2019, leader of the National Party Justin Barrett had a milkshake thrown at him in Eyre Square, Galway. In September 2020, Tánaiste and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar had a drink thrown at him by a woman in Merrion Park, Dublin. On January 4, 2023, a farmer threw two bags of cow dung at Teachtaí Dála Ciarán Cannon and Anne Rabbitte in Gort.
Israel On April 23, 2025, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had a water bottle thrown at him while visiting Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, United States.
Italy In 63, Vespasian, the Roman Governor of Africa, had turnips thrown at him. On 13 December 2009, a souvenir statuette of the Milan Cathedral was thrown by a man at Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi as he greeted a crowd and signed autographs outside the cathedral, causing a broken nose and two broken teeth.
Japan On April 15, 2023, a man threw a pipe bomb at Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during an event in Wakayama. The prime minister was unharmed.
Kenya On May 4, 2025, a shoe was thrown at Kenyan President William Ruto during a rally in Migori.
Netherlands