French President Emmanuel Macron got slapped in the face by a man during his visit to a small town in southeastern France. The incident happened Wednesday while Macron was greeting the public waiting to see him in the town of Tain-l’Hermitage.
The slap was caught on video and was later uploaded on social media. Macron said during an interview that the attack was an “isolated act” and the rest of his visit went as planned. Police arrested two men that were reportedly involved in the attack.
“Everything goes well … We must not let isolated acts, ultra-violent individuals, like there had been some also in (street) protests, dominate the public debate: they don’t deserve it,” Macron said.
Macron’s bodyguards were not able to stop the man’s right open hand from making contact with the French president’s face. The man can be heard shouting “Montjoie! Saint Denis!” – a centuries-old royalist war cry – after he slapped the president. He was later heard shouting “A bas la Macronie” – or “Down with Macron.”
Despite the attack, Macron still continued with his planned visits. Just 25 minutes later, Macron was seen walking in the narrow streets of the city of Valence. Macron still continued to greet the crowd, posing for selfies, and chatting with many people that were there to see him.
The visit is part of Macron’s political “tour de France” less than a year before the nations’ next presidential elections. Macron previously said he plans to visit the entire French region in the coming months to “feel the pulse of the country” following its struggle with the coronavirus pandemic.
