The French president, Émmanuel Macron, has been slapped in the face on an official visit to the south-east of France.
In a clip circulating on social media, President Macron is seen walking up to a barrier while on a trip to Tain-l’Hermitage outside the city of Valence.
A man in a green T-shirt slaps Mr 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 clip, Macron briefly returned to the barrier after the incident and once again interacted with the crowd.
The man’s identity and motive are as yet unclear. In a statement reported by the Agence France Presse news agency the local prefecture said he and another individual are being questioned by the gendarmerie.
Officers were out in force on the streets of Valence shortly after the slap, according to one French journalist’s tweet.
Politicians swiftly denounced the incident.
Prime Minister Jean Castex told the National Assembly shortly afterwards that although democracy involves debate and legitimate disagreement, “It must never in any case mean violence, verbal aggression and even less physical attack.”
The far-left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon tweeted his “solidarity with the president” immediately after Macron was slapped.
And Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right Rassemblement national, posted her own condemnation, arguing that “while democratic debate can be bitter, it can never tolerate physical violence”.
COVID rules relax
President Macron is on a tour of France and had just visited a hotel school in Tain-l’Hermitage. His visit to the area was scheduled to continue on Tuesday, officials said, with a trip to a vocational institute for 25-to-30-year-olds.
The president’s visit comes on the eve of a big step for French bars and restaurants, which will be able to reopen to indoor customers after being closed for the past seven months.
On Wednesday France’s overnight curfew is also being pushed back from 9pm to 11pm.
“Tomorrow, a new step will be taken,” President Macron tweeted after his visit to the hotel school. “Life will resume in all our territories!”
Asaase Radio 99.5 – tune in or log on to broadcasts online
Follow us on Twitter: @asaaseradio995
#AsaaseRadio
#TheVoiceofOurLand
#GreenGhana
#WeLoveOurLand
