French President Emmanuel Macron has been slapped in the face by a man during a visit to a small town in southeast France. Macron's office on Tuesday confirmed a video that is widely circulating online.
The French president can be seen greeting the public waiting for him behind barriers in the town of Tain-l'Hermitage after he visited a high school that is training students to work in hotels and restaurants.
In a video circulating on social media, Macron could be seen walking towards a crowd standing behind a metal barrier. He reached out to greet a man, wearing a green T-shirt, with glasses and a face mask. The man could be heard shouting and then slapping Macron in the face.
French news broadcaster BFM TV said two people have been detained by police.
Macron was on a visit to the Drome region in southeast France, where he met restaurateurs and students to talk about returning to a normal life after the COVID-19 pandemic.
It is not the first time Macron was subjected to hostile treatment. In 2016, Macron, then the economy minister at the time, was pelted with eggs during a strike against labour reforms. Two years later, anti-government "yellow vest" protesters heckled and booed Macron.
