French authorities arrested two young men on Tuesday in connection with one of them forcefully slapping President Emmanuel Macron during a tour in the Drôme region of southeastern France. The public prosecutor in Valence, where the incident occurred, announced that they detained two 28-year-old men, one of whom was filmed slapping the French president in front of a crowd. The prosecutor stated that both men, residents of Drôme, are in police custody and face charges of assaulting a public official.
The police reported that the young men are currently being investigated by gendarmerie forces, without providing any further information about their identities or motivations. However, French media has raised suspicions about their possible connections to the far-right.
A video circulating on social media showed Macron with his security guards running towards a crowd of people. Macron greeted attendees, separated from him by a short iron barrier of about one meter. As President Macron approached the crowd, a young man grabbed his right arm and shouted, "Down with Macronism," before delivering a strong slap to his left cheek.
Macron's guards intervened immediately, apprehending the young man and another individual with him, while other guards swiftly moved the president to a safe location. The Élysée Palace attempted to downplay the incident, asserting that it did not affect the president's tour, which aimed to engage with the French public in a "gauge the country's feelings" tour. They added in a statement, "There is no such thing as complete risklessness; we can never fully prevent a madman from approaching the president."
