A Vietnamese woman has been fined VND750,000 (US$32) for throwing a shoe during a meeting between voters in District 2, Ho Chi Minh City and lawmakers, police said on Monday.
Legislators representing constituents in District 2, including Ho Chi Minh City Party chief Nguyen Thien Nhan and chairwoman of the municipal People’s Council Nguyen Thi Quyet Tam, held a meeting with voters on Saturday.
A woman, identified as local resident Nguyen Thi Thuy Duong, caused a chaotic scene at the meeting when she hurled a shoe at the stage, where the lawmakers were seated.
Speaking with Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Duong said she had done so on the spur of the moment, as she became impatient waiting for her turn to grill the legislators.
Duong owns two land plots in the Thu Thiem neighborhood in District 2, where there are ongoing disputes between the developer of an urban area project and residents regarding site clearance and compensation for relocated families.
Duong said she became angry during the meeting after hearing others talk about their issues with the controversy-plagued project, prompting her to lose control and throw a shoe.
“The shoe didn’t hit anyone” but Duong was still subject to the fine as her action had constituted a civil violation, said Le Van Tuan, police chief of Binh Trung Tay Ward in District 2, where the meeting was held.
Duong would have been subject to a civil penalty of between VND500,000 ($21) and VND1 million ($42) for “throwing objects at another person or their assets,” according to a government decree.
Police summoned the shoe thrower to hand her a penalty of VND750,000 ($32) on Tuesday, Tuan said.
Officers in Binh Trung Tay Ward kept Duong’s shoe as evidence and said they would return the item to its owner once she pays her fine.
Tuan Son report on Tuoitrenews
