Bystander slaps French President Emmanuel Macron

A bystander has slapped French President Emmanuel Macron across the face during a trip to southeast France on Tuesday June 8, 2021.

A viral video on social media showed Macron approach a barrier to greet a man who, instead of shaking hands, slapped the 43-year-old across the face.

According to a report, Macron’s bodyguards quickly intervened and two people were arrested afterwards.

“The man who tried to slap the president and another individual are currently being questioned by the gendarmerie,” the regional prefecture said in a statement.

The incident in the village of Tain-l’Hermitage in the Drome region represents a serious security breach and overshadows the start of Macron’s tour which he said was designed to “take the country’s pulse.”

“Around 1:15 pm (1115 GMT), the president got back into his car after visiting a high school and came back out because onlookers were calling out to him,” the report said.

“He went to meet them and that’s where the incident happened,” it added.