French President Emmanuel Macron Slapped by Man During Walkabout Session, Two Arrested | WATCH Video

The incident happened when 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.

Paris:-French President Emmanuel Macron was on Tuesday slapped by a man in a crowd of onlookers while he was greeting them during a walkabout in southern France. Within seconds of the incident, Macron’s security entourage quickly intervened to pull the man to the ground and moves Macron away from him. Following the incident, a video of the same has gone viral and being widely circulated on social media. Two people have been arrested in this connection with the incident, said a Reuters report.

The incident happened when 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. Speaking to the media, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said the incident was an affront to democracy.

Watch the video here:

French Premier Emmanuel Macron slapped in the face as he attempts to greet the people who had come to welcome him pic.twitter.com/FaU1uVYj6T

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In the video that has gone viral now, Macron can be seen dressed in shirt sleeves as he walks towards a crowd of well-wishers who were behind a metal barrier. And, when the French president reached out his hand to greet one man, in a green T-Shirt, with glasses and a face mask. The man could be heard shouting out “Down with Macronia” (“A Bas La Macronie”) and then he immediately forced a slap on Macron’s face.

Two of Macron’s security detail tackled the man in the green T-shirt, while another ushered Macron away. But Macron remained in the vicinity of the crowd for a few more seconds, and appeared to be talking to someone on the other side of the barriers, said the Reuters report.

The president’s office said that there had been an attempt to strike Macron, but declined further comment. The identity of the man who slapped Macron, and his motives, were unclear. While slapping the president, he could be heard shouting “Montjoie Saint-Denis,” which was the battle cry of the French armies when the country was still a monarchy.