Desk Report
Published: 08 Jun 2021, 08:31 pm
French President Emmanuel Macron has been slapped in the face. || Photo: Collected
French President Emmanuel Macron has been slapped in the face on an official visit to the south-east of France.
In a
video circulating on social media, Macron is seen walking up to a barrier on
a trip to Tain-l'Hermitage outside the city of Valence.
A
man in a green T-shirt slaps Macron in the face before officers quickly move
in. The president, meanwhile, is pulled away.
Two
men have been arrested following the incident, French media report.
The
man reportedly shouted "Down with Macron-ism" as he slapped the
president.
In
the video Macron briefly returned to the barrier after the incident and once
again interacted with the crowd.
https://twitter.com/AlexpLille/status/1402237903376367627
As
yet the identity and motive of the man are unclear. The local prefecture said
he and another individual are being questioned by the gendarmerie, in a
statement reported by AFP news agency.
Officers
were out in force on the streets of Valence shortly after the slap, according to one French
journalist's tweet.
Politicians
have swiftly denounced the incident.
Prime
Minister Jean Castex told the National Assembly shortly afterwards that while
democracy meant debate and legitimate disagreement "it must never in any
case mean violence, verbal aggression and even less physical attack".
Far-left
leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon tweeted his "solidarity with the president"
immediately after the slap.
And
far-right leader Marine Le Pen posted her own condemnation, saying that
"while democratic debate can be bitter, it can never tolerate physical
violence".
President
Macron is currently on a tour of France and had just visited a hotel school in
Tain-l'Hermitage. His visit to the area was set to continue on Tuesday,
officials said, with a trip to a vocational institute for 25-30 year-olds.
The
president's visit comes on the eve of a major step for French bars and
restaurants, which will be able to reopen to indoor customers after seven
months of closure. France's overnight curfew is also being pushed back from
21:00 to 23:00 on Wednesday.
"Tomorrow, a new step will be taken," Macron tweeted after his visit to the hotel school. "Life will resume in all our territories!"
Source: BBC