French President Emmanuel Macron Slapped By Angry Citizen During Tour

French President, Emmanuel Macron was slapped in the face on Tuesday, while greeting citizens in the south of France.

The culprit, a young man, who yelled "Down with Macronism" after commiting the act, was immediately tackled to the ground by the presidential security team.

Macron, who appeared unhurt, was determined to not let the slap ruffle him as he still continued shaking hands with others in the public, even after members of his security team tried to move him away from the crowd.

In an interview after the incident, the 46-year old President said that the assault was “an isolated act” and should be “put into perspective”.

“We mustn’t let ultra-violent individuals take over the public debate … There can be no violence, no hatred, not in speech or action. Otherwise it’s democracy itself that is threatened.”

Footage of the incident showed the president approaching onlookers who were waiting behind metal barriers at Tain-l’Hermitage in the Drôme department. 

Emmanuel Macron, dressed in a white shirt and wearing a mask, is seen reaching out to shake hands with a visibly young man in a green T-shirt, also wearing a mask. 

According to reports, the man was heard shouting “à bas la Macronie” (down with Macronism) before grabbing the president’s right arm and delivering a sharp slap to his left cheek. It was also reported that the man shouted “Montjoie Saint Denis”, the battle cry of the French armies when the country was a monarchy.

So far, two people have been arrested in connection with the assault, and are currently being held for “deliberate violence against a person of public authority."

In a later interview with Dauphiné Libéré, a local newspaper, Macron said: “We must not let this overshadow the other issues that are so important to the lives of so many.”

When asked if he felt the political climate was deteriorating, he responded: “No, I don’t want isolated individuals or those who go to extremes to somehow make people forget the rest. The French people are a republican people. The overwhelming majority of French people are interested in the fundamental problems.

“Let’s not let isolated events, the kind of ultra-violent individuals we also see in some demonstrations, take over the public debate. They don’t deserve it.”

According to the President, this incident would not prevent his meetings with regular citizens and he wasn't scared or nervous about it.

“In fact, I went on and greeted the people present who were next to the man and I took photos with them. I carried on and I will carry on. Nothing will stop me,” he said.

The French prime minister, Jean Castex, said the incident was an affront to democracy.

“Politics can never be about violence, verbal aggression, and even less about physical aggression. I call for a republican awakening, we are all concerned, the foundations of our democracy are at stake,” Castex told the Assemblée Nationale.

Last week, Macron began a six-week political tour aimed at of the country identifying with the people. 

He was in the Drôme to meet local restaurant owners and students to talk about how their lives are slowly returning to normal as Covid restrictions are lifted. Macron was accompanied by Guillaume Gomez, a former chef at the Élysée who was named the president’s “special adviser on French gastronomy”.

Alex Perrin, a lawyer in, told a newspaper that two local men aged 28 had been arrested.

“They are not known to police. One is accused of having hit the president of the Republic, the other was accompanying him,” Perrin said, adding investigation was being carried out. The person convicted of violence will face a €750 fine.

The far-right leader Marine Le Pen also condemned the assault.

“I say this with absolutely firmness: it is unacceptable to physically attack the president of the republic or political representatives but especially the president. I am Emmanuel Macron’s main rival, but he is the president of the republic and, as such, we can beat him politically but we cannot accept the slightest violence towards him. I consider this behaviour unacceptable and deeply deplorable in a democracy,” Le Pen told BFMTV.

Former president François Hollande tweeted: “Attacking the president of the republic is an unacceptable and intolerable blow to our institutions. In the face of this indescribable act, the whole nation must show solidarity with the head of state. In these circumstances, I send my full support to @EmmanuelMacron.”