A man slapped President Emmanuel Macron in the face on Tuesday during a walkabout in southern France, an incident which his prime minister denounced as an affront to democracy. The man, who was dressed in a khaki T-shirt, then shouted “Down with Macronia” (“A Bas La Macronie”) and slapped Macron on the left side of his face. He could also be heard shouting “Montjoie Saint Denis”, the battle cry of the French army when the country was still a monarchy. The identify of the man who slapped Macron, and his motives, were unclear. Two years later, anti-government “yellow vest” protesters heckled and booed Macron in an incident that government allies said left the president shaken.

Source: The Nation June 08, 2021 15:33 UTC