DRÔME, France: French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped in the face on Tuesday by a man in a crowd of onlookers while on a walkabout in southern France, a video of the incident showed.
Macron’s security entourage quickly intervened to pull the man to the ground and move Macron away from him. Two people were arrested in connection with the incident, broadcasters BFM TV and RMC radio reported.
The incident took place while Macron was on a visit to the Drome region in south-eastern France, where he met restaurateurs and students to talk about how life is returning to normal after the Covid-19 pandemic .
“I am doing fine. We must put this incident, which I think is an isolated event, into perspective,” he told the Dauphine Libere newspaper in an interview after the incident in the village of Tain-l’Hermitage in the Drome region on Tuesday.
But he added: “Let’s not let isolated events, ultra-violent individuals… take hold of the public debate: they do not merit it.”
The French president reached out his hand to greet one man, in a green T-Shirt, with glasses and a face mask.
The man could be heard shouting out “Down with Macronia” (“A Bas La Macronie”) and then he delivered a slap to Macron’s face.
Two of Macron’s security detail tackled the man in the green T-shirt, while another ushered Macron away.
The president’s security entourage quickly intervened to pull the man to the ground and move Mr Macron away from him. They confirmed that a man had attempted to slap him.
🚨🇫🇷 | BREAKING: Macron slapped in the face
Via @ConflitsFrance pic.twitter.com/1L7eYTsvDR
— Politics For All (@PoliticsForAlI) June 8, 2021
Macron was visiting the Drome region to meet restaurateurs and students to talk about how life is returning to normal amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Macron remained in the vicinity of the crowd for a few more seconds and appeared to be talking to someone on the other side of the barriers.
The presidential administration said there had been an attempt to strike Macron, but declined further comment.
The identity of the man who slapped Macron, and his motives, were unclear.
While slapping the president, he could be heard shouting “Montjoie Saint Denis”, which was the battle cry of the French armies when the country was still a monarchy.
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