Dharamsala, Feb 27 : Tibetan exiles living in Dharamsala hurled shoes at Chinese President Hu Jintao''s effigy on Friday as a mark of protest against alleged Chinese atrocities on Tibetans in Lhasa.

Inspired by the Iraqi television journalist who hurled shoes at former US President, Bush, the young exiles publicly expressed their anger against the Chinese leader.

Tenzin Cheoying, the President of the Students for a Free Tibet, said that hurling shoes was one of the most non-violent ways of protes.

"Chinese President deserves tossing of shoes from the people because he was responsible for all the sufferings of Tibetans. And also because shoe throwing has becoming one of the most potent weapon in terms of non -violent action," Cheoying added.

The protest gains significance as the 50th anniversary of the exile of Tibet''s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who fled to India after an abortive uprising against Chinese rule in 1959, comes close.

Tibetans living in exile contend that Chinese atrocities have increased since the Tibetan uprising in Lhasa in March 2008, whereas China blames the Dalai Lama led clique for instigating unrest in that region. (ANI)