Emmanuel Macron slapped by a man during a trip in the Drôme, two interpellations
Sylvie Claire / June 9, 2021
Emmanuel Macron was slapped by a man during a trip to Tain-l'Hermitage Tuesday at midday, confirmed the entourage of the head of state by attesting to AFP of the authenticity of a video circulating on social networks.
French President Emmanuel Macron was slapped by a man during a trip to Tain-l'Hermitage (southeast) Tuesday mid-day, confirmed the entourage of the head of state, attesting to the authenticity of a video circulating on social networks.
The man who tried to slap the president and another individual are currently being heard by the gendarmerie brigade of Tain-L Hermitage, said the prefecture.
At about 1:15 pm, the president was back in his car after visiting a high school and he got out again because some onlookers were calling him. He went to meet them and that's when the incident occurred," the prefecture said.
Two 28-year-old men arrested
A 28-year-old man from Drome was arrested with a man of the same age from the department who accompanied him, according to the public prosecutor.
The two men arrested are two Drômois aged 28 years, unknown to justice, says Alex Perrin, prosecutor in Valence. At this stage of police custody, their motives are not known, added the magistrate, without specifying the profile of the suspects.
A complaint must be filed in the next few hours by the prefect, the prosecutor said. An investigation, carried out by the Drôme gendarmes, was opened for violence without ITT (total incapacity of work, editor's note) on person depositary of the public authority.
Emmanuel Macron wanted to put the slap in perspective on Tuesday, denouncing isolated acts committed by ultraviolent individuals who do not deserve, according to him, that we let them take possession of the public debate.
Let us not let isolated facts, ultraviolent individuals, as there are always some in the demonstrations too, take possession of the public debate: they do not deserve it, urged the head of state, slapped Tuesday at mid-day by a man during a trip to Tain-l'Hermitage (Drôme).
This is stupidity. And when stupidity is combined with violence, it is unacceptable, he said in the evening, while taking a long walk in Valencia with his wife Brigitte.
I always go to the contact, within shouting distance as I say. And I want to. People express their anger to me, sometimes their dismay and I am always there, he insisted, calling to give nothing to violence.