French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped in the face during a walkabout session with a crowd in the Drome region in southeastern France. In a video of the incident that has now gone viral on the internet, Mr Macron could be seen walking up to a barrier where a man slaps him across his face after shaking hands with him.
As Mr Macron is slapped, the words “Down with Macron-ism” could be heard in the background. In the video that is circulating on social media websites, a man wearing a green T-Shirt, with glasses and a face mask, shouted “Down with Macronia” (“A Bas La Macronie”) and then delivered a slap to Macron’s face.
Emmanuel Macron giflé par un homme dans la Drôme pic.twitter.com/VnpZ5ELvl5
— BFMTV (@BFMTV) June 8, 2021
Soon after being attacked, the retinue of officers flanking the French President got hold of the man. Following the incident, the president was quickly escorted away from the spot.
According to BFM TV and RMC radio, two people have been arrested in connection with the case.
Mr Emmanuel 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 epidemic.