On Tuesday, while on a walkabout in southern France, French President Emmanuel Macron was smacked in the face by a guy among a crowd of bystanders, according to footage of the event.
Macron’s security team rushed in to bring the man to the ground and take him away from Macron. According to broadcasters BFM TV and RMC radio, two persons were detained in connection with the event.
The act, according to French Prime Minister Jean Castex, was an insult to democracy.
The event occurred as Macron was visiting the Drome area of south-eastern France, where he met with restaurateurs and students to discuss how life is returning to normal following the Covid-19 outbreak.
Macron, clothed in shirt sleeves, could be seen going towards a gathering of well-wishers who were behind a metal fence in a video circulating on social media.
One man with a green T-shirt, spectacles, and a face mask was greeted by the French president, who extended his hand.
The guy could be heard yelling “Down with Macronia” (“A Bas La Macronie”) before slapping Macron in the face.
Two members of Macron’s security detail confronted the guy in the green T-shirt, while another escorted the president away. Macron, on the other hand, lingered in the throng for a few more seconds, appearing to be conversing with someone on the other side of the barricades.
The presidential administration confirmed that an attempt on Macron’s life had been made, but declined to elaborate.
The identity of the individual who smacked Macron was unknown, as were his intentions. He may be heard hitting the president while chanting “Montjoie Saint Denis,” the war cry of the French troops when the country was still a monarchy.
