Macron is seen approaching a small crowd of people in Tain-l’Hermitage, a town in the Drôme region of France that he was visiting to speak with members of the food and restaurant industry ahead of a new loosening of Covid 19-related restrictions this week.
Macron was starting a conversation with a longhaired man wearing a khaki T-shirt, the man gripped his forearm and slapped the president on the face, the video showed.
Local authorities said two people had been arrested in connection with the incident, including the man who slapped Mr.
Macron’s main opponent in next year’s presidential elections, said it was “unacceptable†to physically attack the head of the French Republic.
Le Pen said at a news conference in eastern France.
Macron has shown an appetite for shaking hands, mingling with crowds, and vigorously debating ordinary citizens on the street, even more so over the past weeks as France lifts pandemic-related restrictions and moves closer to the 2022 presidential election, scheduled for next spring.
Macron, who has scheduled several trips around France in the coming weeks, told Le Dauphiné Libéré he was undeterred by the incident