On Tuesday (8 June), French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped by a man while he was on a walkabout in southern France.
Macron’s security personnel reacted quickly, tackling the man to the ground and moving Macron away from him.
Subsequently, two people were arrested in relation to the incident.
Here’s what happened.
French President Caught on Camera Being Slapped by Man During Walkabout
Macron had been visiting the Drome region in south-eastern France, meeting with restaurant owners and students and sharing with them about the return to normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic.
The viral clip on social media shows Macron walking towards a crowd of people behind a metal barrier.
He then reached his hand out to a man clad in a green T-shirt with spectacles and a face mask. The man was shouting “A Bas La Macronie” (“Down with Macronia”), and then he proceeded to slap the French president.
You can watch the clip here:
VIDEO – French President Emmanuel Macron gets slapped by a man as he approached him to shake his hand during a trip in southeast Francepic.twitter.com/UNSTWHkORE
— DAILY SABAH (@DailySabah) June 8, 2021
Two of his security personnel tackled the man, while another guided Macron away from the scene. However, Macron remained close to the crowd for a few more seconds and could be seen conversing with someone behind the barrier.
According to the regional prefecture, the man who attempted to slap Macron and another individual are being investigated by the gendarmerie.
It was added that the incident “represents a serious security breach and overshadows the start of Macron’s tour.”
Macron seems to be unaffected by the incident, and he told regional newspaper La Dauphine Libere that “all is well”, and that he believed that this was “an isolated event”.
He said that he will continue and that “nothing will stop [him]”.
About a dozen stops had been planned for the French president’s walkabout over the next two months, and Macron was eager to personally meet voters himself.
Before he was slapped, Macron had been asked to comment on recent remarks made by far-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon, who had insinuated that the following year’s election would be manipulated.
In response, Macron said, “Democratic life needs calm and respect, from everyone, politicians as well as citizens.”
The assault was criticised by French Prime Minister Jean Castex as “an affront to democracy”, who asserted that politics can never involve “violence, verbal aggression, much less physical aggression”.
Other Instances of Macron Facing Hostility from Members of the Public
There have been other instances of Macron facing hostility from members of the public.
In July 2020, while on an impromptu walk through the Tuileries gardens in Paris, Macron and his wife Brigitte had been verbally abused by protesters.
In 2018, he went on a tour to mark the centenary of the end of World War I and was met with enraged citizens jeering at him.
Featured Image: Twitter (@DailySabah)
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