AMMAN, Dec. 20 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of people on Saturday gathered in Jordan's capital of Amman, calling for the release of the Iraqi journalist who threw shoes at U.S. president George W. Bush.

    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.