French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped in the face on Tuesday by a man in a crowd of onlookers during his visit to the Drome region in south-eastern France, 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.
Emmanuel Macron Slap Video:
תיעוד: נשיא צרפת עמנואל מקרון חוטף סטירה בסיור בדרום מזרח צרפת
pic.twitter.com/h2LhhFGg5V— Romi Friedman | רומי פרידמן (@FriedmanRomi) June 8, 2021
The incident took place while Macron was on a trip 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.
In video circulating on social media, Macron, dressed in shirt sleeves, could be seen walking towards a crowd of well-wishers who were behind a metal barrier and gets slapped.
The French president reached out his hand to greet one man, in a green T-Shirt, with glasses and a face mask. The man then shouted out loud “Down with Macronia” (à bas la Macronie) and then delivered a slap to Emmanuel Macron’s face.
The identity of the man who slapped Macron, and his motives, were unclear. French Prime Minister Jean Castex said the incident was an affront to democracy.