French President Macron attends a Climate Summit video conference, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, 22 April 2021.
Ian Langsdon | Reuters
French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped in the face, leading police to arrest two men, a spokesman for the National Gendarmerie told NBC News on Tuesday.
The two suspects were arrested after the incident, which occurred during Macron’s visit to a school in southeast France, NBC reported.
The visit to the Tain-Hermitage school, which specializes in the restaurant industry, came on the eve of the French government lifting restrictions on indoor dining and other measures implemented during the coronavirus pandemic. Macron was scheduled to meet with restaurant industry representatives, NBC reported.
Video of the incident shows Macron, wearing a black mask, approaching a crowd of people standing on the other side of a partition. Macron appears to pat the forearm of the closest person in the crowd, who is clad in a green T-shirt and a white mask. As Marcon looks to be moving down the line of onlookers, the person moves to slap the president in the face, the video shows.
The suspects are in custody and French authorities are investigating the case, according to NBC. One person was arrested for the slap itself, while the other suspect’s role is yet unclear, NBC reported.
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